Session#3 : Lecture#2

Topic 5: Liberation War in 1971

Department of Sociology
East West University
Date: 10 December 2020, Thursday
 Topic 5 (2 & 3):
Freedom Fighters and
People’s War
 A Short Recap
Many significant events happened in the history of
emergence of Bangladesh from 1947 till the achievement
of sovereignty in 1971 through a liberation war.
The war broke out in the region with genocide, arson
& bombing on 25 March 1971 by the Pakistan Army
Bangabandhu declared independence in early hours on
26 March 1971
Endorsed as a Proclamation on 17 April 1971
A government in exile named as Mujibangar
Government was formed to take care of the immediate
needs of Bengal region (the then East Pakistan)
Mujibangar Government
Mujibangar Government
Mujibangar Government
Mujibangar Government
 Background
Full fledged war was already there
A formal military leadership of the resistance was
created in early days of April
The military council was headed by General
Mohammad Ataul Gani Osmani (as Chief in
Command)
The Bangladesh Armed Forces were established on 4
April 1971
In addition to regular units, such as the East Bengal
Regiment & the East Pakistan Rifles, there was also the
Mukti Bahini.
Mukti Bahini divided the war zone into eleven sectors.
General Mohammad Ataul Gani Osmani
(Chief in Command)
11 Sectors in Liberation War

Other (not under Z,K,S force) = 5,6,7

For details: http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=War_of_Liberation,_The

 Mukti Bahini
In Bengali, the ‘freedom fighters’ (or liberation army)
are known as The Mukti Bahini.
They are also known as the Bangladesh Forces.
These were the guerrilla resistant movement formed by
the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary & civilians
during the war that transformed East Pakistan into
Bangladesh in 1971.
The “Mukti Bahini” was divided into two groups:
(a) “Niomito Bahini” – or “regular forces” – came from
paramilitary, military, & police forces of East Pakistan
(b)“Gonnobahini” – or “people's forces” – who were
civilians.
Emblem of the Mukti Bahini
Ceremonial Flag

Wartime Flag
 Mukti Bahini
Prominent divisions of the Mukti Bahini were:
Forces Led by
“K Force” Major Khalded Mosharraf
“S Force” Major K M Shafiullah
“Z Force” Major Ziaur Rahman

Along with these, there were also Militia units, like:

Mujib Bahini, Kader Bahini & Hemayet Bahini (run by
Awami League student leaders)
Guerilla battalions (The Communist Party of Bangladesh,
led by Comrade Moni Singh)
Serious initiative for organizing the Bangladesh
liberation army was taken between 11-17 July
 Head of the Three forces of the Mukti Bahini

Major Khalded Mosharraf Major K M Shafiullah Major Ziaur Rahman

K Force S Force Z Force
 Mukti Bahini
Using guerilla warfare tactics, the Mukti Bahini secured
control over large parts of the Bengali countryside.
It conducted successful “ambush” & “sabotage” &
included the nascent Bangladesh Air Force & the
Bangladesh Navy.
Crack Platoon as guerilla freedom fighters is of special
mention in this stage
Mukti Bahini received training & weapons from India
In the initial months of the war, Bengali forces took
control of numerous districts
With the support of local people, many towns remained
under control of Bengali forces until April & May 1971.
 Crack Platoon

Shaheed Abu Bakar, Shaheed Hafiz, Shaheed Altaf, Shaheed Azad,

Shaheed Bodi, Shaheed Jewel, & Shaheed Rumi
Crack Platoon
Shafi Imam Rumi
Jahanara Imam
 War Strategy in Brief
Strategy included -
 a huge guerrilla force (group of 5-10 guerillas)
 operated raids, ambushes & sabotage
 attacked West Pakistani-controlled shipping ports,
power plants, industries, railways & warehouses
Mukti Bahini halted offensive attack & their training
period slowed because of Monsoon
Railways in East Pakistan were almost completely
shut down & Dhaka (provincial capital) became a
ghost town
 War Strategy in Brief
Regular Mukti Bahini battalions were formed in July
including Bangladesh Naval Forces & they launched
Operation Jackpot
Bangladesh Air Force was established on 28
September 1971 under the command of Air
Commodore A.K. Khandker.
It initially operated from airstrip near Dimapur,
Nagaland, India.
In November, Indian involvement increased &
Bangladesh-India Allied Forces was formed
Guerilla forces by students
Guerilla forces by civilians
Guerilla forces by civilians
Guerilla forces by civilians
Guerilla forces by civilians
 Bangladesh-India Allied Forces
During the war, India came forward to be beside
Bangladesh.
The then Prime Minister of India – Ms. Indira Gandhi
authorized diplomatic, economic & military support to the
Bangladesh Forces in April 1971. As a result, the Indian
Armed Forces provided substantial training & the use of its
bases for the Bangladesh Forces.
Training camps along with refugee shelters were in the
Indian states of Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, & West Bengal
By the time of war, the West Pakistan was doing
massacres in East Pakistan. They were also in
disturbances in the border lines with Indian regions.
Indira Gandhi
 Bangladesh-India Allied Forces
The conflict reached its climax with the launch of
‘Operation Chengiz Khan’ by West Pakistan on North
India. As a result a joint Command structure was established
between the Bangladeshi & Indian forces
Three corps of the Indian Armed Forces were supported
by three brigades of Mukti Bahini & Bengali guerrilla army.
The allied force operated many battles together & liberated
many cities & regions
In Western Pakistan, Indian forces advanced deep into
Pakistani territory as the Port of Karachi was subjected to a
naval blockade by the Indian Navy
Finally Pakistani army surrendered to the Mukti
Bahini-Indian forces in Dhaka on 16 December 1971
 Honoring the Freedom Fighters
The Bengali had to pay the price to achieve the long
cherished independence.
The freedom fighters along with millions of civilians had to
pay the price in lieu of bloodsheds, sacrifices, & pains. The
government of Bangladesh has honored such sacrifices.
Four gallantry awards awarded to the listed freedom fighters.
Awards Number of recipients
Bir Sreshtho 7
Bir Uttom 69
Bir Bikrom 177
Bir Protik 426

Three women & a foreigner were also awarded with Bir Protik.
Freedom Fighters with Bir Sreshtho
Sector Name of the Recipient
Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir, Sepahi Hamidur
Bangladesh Army
Rahman, & Sepahi Muhammad Mustafa
Bangladesh Navy Engine Artificer Mohammad Ruhul Amin
Bangladesh Air Force Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman
Bangladesh Rifles
Lance Naik Munshi Abdur Rouf & Lance Naik
(currently known as Border
Noor Mohammad Sheikh
Guard Bangladesh)
Freedom Fighters with Bir Protik (special mention)

Captain
Setara Begum,
Taramon Bibi
& Kakon Bibi

William A.S.
Ouderland
 Women in Liberation War
There is a general tendency to think of war only in terms of
physical fighting & exchange of gunshots.
Basically it’s a male perspective.
But the Liberation War or any war involve entire
population of a country & struggle through which a united
nation assert its aspiration for freedom.
Such wars are not fought only in the battlefields, neither are
they fought only with guns.
War heroes include those women who have supported the
valiant freedom fighters with food, shelter, funds; who have
nursed the wounded & hid weapons risking their own lives.
They also include those who have willingly let their sons to
join the war, who lost their loved ones & even worse, been
subjected to sexual abuse & still survive to tell their stories
Women in Liberation War
Women in Liberation War
Women in Liberation War
 Genocide in Bangladesh
Started on 25 March through ‘Operation Searchlight’ &
continued till the end of the nine-month-long war
During the war, members of the Pakistan military &
supporting Islamist militias like: Jamaat-e-Islami killed
between 300,000 and 3,000,000 people & raped between
200,000 and 400,000 women in a systematic campaign of
genocidal rape
The actions against women were supported by Jamaat-e-
Islami religious leaders, who declared that Bengali women
were gonimoter maal (Bengali for "public property").
As a result of the conflict & genocide, a further eight to
ten million people, mostly Hindus, fled the country at the
time to seek refuge in neighboring India.
Refugees rushing to neighboring India
Refugees in shelters in India
 Aftermath of Genocide in Bangladesh
(During 9 months of war)

Mass graves of Bangalees brutally tortured & killed in 1971 were found in many places including Rayer
Bazar, & Mirpur in Dhaka; Chuknagar in Khulna; & in other divisional towns of Bangladesh
 Thank You
MANZUMA AHSAN
Lecturer, Department of Sociology
East West University
Email: manzuma.ahsan@gmail.com