The Mukti Bahini - Catalyst for Bangladesh's Independence

Submitted by:

Romon Ahmed

NSU ID: 2311463648

Course: HIS103
Section:54

Email: romon.ahamed.2311463@northsouth.edu

Submitted to: MAR2

 The Mukti Bahini - Catalyst for Bangladesh's Independence

Introduction:
The Mukti Bahini, also known as the Bangladesh Forces, was the guerrilla resistance
movement consisting of the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary and civilians during the
Bangladesh Liberation War that transformed East Pakistan into Bangladesh in 1971. They
were initially called the Mukti Fauj.

The study's objective :

The Mukti Bahini , or the Bangladesh Liberation Army, holds a significant place in the
history of Bangladesh's struggle for independence. This assignment aims to explore the
importance and significance of the Mukti Bahini , shedding light on its pivotal role in
achieving the sovereignty of Bangladesh. Furthermore, it will address the debates
surrounding the formation and influence of the Mukti Bahini, making it a subject of critical
analysis.The Mukti Bahini was a pivotal force during the Bangladesh Liberation War in
1971. This topic is chosen for its representation of a resolute and dedicated armed movement
that played a crucial role in the fight for Bangladesh's independence. The assignment will
outline the historical background, describe key events, and present an analysis of the Mukti
Bahini's role within the broader context of Bangladesh's history.

Organization :
"Niomito Bahini" or "regular forces" were drawn from the paramilitary, military, and police
forces of East Pakistan, while "people's forces" or "Gonnobahini" were civilians. These two
groups made up the "Mukti Bahini." The Bangladeshi government assigned and defined these
names. The Gonnobahini were known as "freedom fighters" by the Indians, while the
Niomito Bahini were referred to as "Mukti Fauj".

Background :
East Pakistan campaigned against the usage of Urdu as the sole official language of Pakistan.
The Awami League had won the majority in the 1970 Pakistan election. Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, as the leader of the Awami League, was prevented from forming a
government.Bengali was the only language in Pakistan not written in the Persian-Arabic
script. The merger of the provinces of West Pakistan into one administrative "unit" caused
great suspicion in East Pakistan. Pakistan's unwillingness to give autonomy to East Bengal
and Bengali nationalism are both cited as reasons for the separation.The 1970 Bhola Cyclone
had caused the death of at least 300,000 and possibly as many as 500,000 people while the
infrastructure, transport and other services were severely damaged. The central government
of Pakistan was blamed for the slow response and misuse of funds.It created resentment in
the population of East Pakistan. The resentment allowed the Awami League to win 160 of the
162 parliamentary seats allocated to East Pakistan which made the Awami League the
majority party in the 300 seat parliament of Pakistan. After the 1971 elections, Yahya Khan
hoped for a power sharing agreement between Mujib and Bhutto, though talks between them
did not result in a solution. Mujib wanted full autonomy, Bhutto advised Yahya to break off
talks.In March, General Yahya Khan suspended the National Assembly of Pakistan.
On 7 March 1971, Sheikh Mujib made his now famous speech in Ramna Race course
(Suhrawardy Udyan) where he declared "The struggle this time is for our freedom. The
struggle this time is for our independence". East Pakistan television broadcasters started
broadcasting Rabindranath songs, a taboo in Pakistan, while reducing the air-time of shows
from West Pakistan. Civilian interaction with the Pakistan Army were decreased and they
were increasingly seen as an occupying force, while local contractors stopped providing
supplies to the Pakistan Army. The Pakistan Army also tried to disarm and dismiss personnel
of Bengali origin in the East Pakistan Rifles, the police and the regular army. The Bengali
officers mutinied against the Pakistan Army, and attacked officers from West Pakistan.The
Pakistan Army's crackdown on the civilian population had contributed to the revolt of East
Pakistani soldiers. The East Pakistani soldiers moved to India and formed the main body of
Mukti Bahini. Sheikh Mujib on 26 March 1971 declared the independence of Bangladesh,
while Pakistan's president Yahya Khan declared Mujib a traitor during a national broadcast
on the same day. The Pakistan Army moved infantry and armoured units to East Pakistan in
preparation for the coming conflicts.

The Descripted section :

The assignment's descriptive section will describe the circumstances that gave rise to the
Mukti Bahini. It will give a thorough account of all of its operations, including significant
military engagements and campaigns, during the Bangladesh Liberation War. We'll discuss
the leaders and combatants in the Mukti Bahini as well as the strategies and tactics they used.

Early Resistance :
Martial law was imposed, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was taken into custody, and East
Pakistan's Operation Searchlight was launched on March 25. The Pakistani army attacked
disloyal members of the Awami League, the East Pakistan Rifles, and the East Bengal
Regiment. The Mukti Bahini, composed primarily of attack survivors, began the war to free
Bangladesh. Major Ziaur Rahman and his Bengali soldiers fought their way out of Chittagong
City on March 27, the day Bangladesh declared its independence from Pakistan. The
massacre at Dhaka University marked the start of the 1971 genocide against Bangladesh.
Civilians began to resist Pakistani forces by taking over weapons depots in different cities.
The Deputy High Commission of Pakistan in Kolkata abandoned its position and raised the
Bangladeshi flag on 18 April. The Mujibnagar Government was established on April 17. In
May, Foreign Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto requested that General Yahya Khan cede control
of West Pakistan to his political party, but Khan declined, claiming it would validate Mukti
Bahini's assertion that East Pakistan was a territory under West Pakistan.

Air operations :
On September 28, 1971, the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) was founded, and Air Commodore
A. K. Khandker served as its commander. It began operations from an airstrip in the jungle
close to Dimapur in Nagaland, India. The Bangladesh Forces seized control of World War II
airstrips in Lalmonirhat, Shalutikar, Sylhet, and Comilla in November and December as they
occupied liberated territories. On December 3, 1971, the BAF began "Kilo Flights" under the
direction of Squadron Leader Sultan Mahmud. Otter DHC-3 aircraft used sorties to destroy
Pakistani fuel supplies in Narayanganj and Chittagong. The refinery in Burma, along with
several ships and oil depots, were among the targets.

Naval operations :
Operation Jackpot, launched by Bangladesh Forces on 15 August 1971, involved the sinking
of Pakistan Navy vessels in Mongla, Chittagong, Chandpur, and Narayanganj. This operation
was a major propaganda success for Bangladeshi forces, exposing the West Pakistani
occupation's fragile hold. The Bangladesh Navy targeted patrol craft and ships carrying
ammunition and commodities. The Mukti Bahini acquired two gunboats with mine-laying
capabilities, but were mistakenly bombed by Indian Air Force troops, resulting in the loss of
both vessels and some lives. The developing Bangladesh Navy also attacked ships and used
sea mines to prevent supply ships from docking in East Pakistani ports.

Organization :
M. A. G. Osmani, a Bengali veteran of World War II and the Pakistan army, established the
Bangladesh Armed Forces on April 4, 1971. He was appointed as the defence minister and
designated the Mukti Bahini into several divisions, including regular armed forces, special
brigades, and paramilitary forces. The Niyomito Bahini (Regular Forces) included East
Pakistan Rifles and police, while the Gonobahini (People's Forces) consisted of lightly
trained civilian brigades under military command. The Gonobahini was created by political
activists from various political parties.
The guerrilla movement in Pakistan consisted of three wings: well-armed Action Groups,
military intelligence units, and guerrilla bases. The first conference of sector commanders
took place in July 1971, with prominent commanders including Pakistan Armed Forces
defector officers and soldiers. The Mujib Bahini was led by Awami League youth leaders,
while Australian war veteran William A. S. Ouderland organized guerrilla warfare in Dacca
and provided vital intelligence to the Bangladesh Forces. Left-wing politicians Kader
Siddique, Hemayet Uddin, and Moni Singh created several guerrilla units, with Kader
operating in the Tangail District and Hemayet raising his Bahini on local supplies.
One of the Mukti Bahini's cultural branches was the Independent Bangladesh Radio Station.
Field hospitals, wireless stations, training camps and prisons were run by the Mukti Bahini.

Equipment :
Early control of Pakistani arms depots, which Bengali forces eventually took over in March
and April 1971, was advantageous to the Mukti Bahini. Through the Calcutta arms trade, the
Mukti Bahini acquired substantial amounts of military-grade hardware, such as Italian
howitzers, Alouette III helicopters, "Dakota" DC-3 aircraft, and "Otter" DHC-3 fighter
planes. The Indian military also provided a restricted amount of equipment to the Mukti
Bahini because New Delhi permitted the Bangladeshi forces to run their own weapons supply
system via Calcutta Port. The Mukti Bahini employed hand grenades made in India, Lee-
Enfield rifles, and sten guns.

Bangladesh-India Allied Forces :

Operation Chengiz Khan by West Pakistan drew India into the Bangladesh conflict, leading
to a joint command structure between Bangladeshi and Indian forces. The Indian Armed
Forces supported three corps of the Mukti Bahini, while the Bengali guerrilla army guided
the Indian army. The Indian and Mukti Bahini outnumbered the Pakistani army divisions of
East Pakistan, capturing surrounding land through major joint engagements. The Meghna
Heli Bridge airlifted Bangladeshi and Indian forces from Brahmanbaria to Narsingdi, while
cities like Jessore, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Kushtia, Noakhali, and Moulvibazar fell to the
Mukti Bahini-Indian forces. The Pakistan Army and pro-Pakistani militias began mass
murder of Bengali intellectuals and professionals in Dhaka. The Mukti Bahini liberated most
of the Dhaka District by mid-December.

Relations with India :

Ten million Bengali refugees fled to India due to famine and Pakistan army ravages. The war
sparked unity in the Bengali-speaking world, with strong support for Bengalis and Mukti
Bahini from the Indian media and public. India feared a communist-dominated movement for
Bangladesh and wanted the refugees to be permanently stranded in India. Indira Gandhi
authorized diplomatic, economic, and military support to the Bangladesh Forces in April
1971. The Provisional Government of Bangladesh established its secretariat in exile in
Calcutta, and the Indian Armed Forces provided substantial training and bases for the
Bangladesh Forces. Mukti Bahini were allowed to cross the border at will, but some were
suspicious of Indian involvement and resented the formation of the Mujib Bahini by India.
India officially recognized Bangladesh as an independent country on December 6, 1971.

International reactions :
The Pakistani genocide in West Pakistan led to international outrage, with Democratic
senator Ted Kennedy criticizing the Nixon administration for ignoring the Bengalis'
genocide. The Mukti Bahini gained international support, with the Bangladeshi provisional
government considering an "International Brigade" with European and North American
students. The Soviet Union supported the Bangladesh Forces and India, while the US wooed
China through Pakistan, leading to India signing a friendship treaty with Moscow in 1971.
However, both the US and China failed to mobilize sufficient support for Pakistan.

Honours :
Bir Sreshtho (The Most Valiant Hero) is the highest military honour in Bangladesh and was
awarded to seven Mukti Bahini fighters. They were Ruhul Amin, Mohiuddin Jahangir,
Mostafa Kamal, Hamidur Rahman, Munshi Abdur Rouf, Nur Mohammad Sheikh and Matiur
Rahman. The other three gallantry awards in decreasing order of importance are Bir Uttom,
Bir Bikrom and Bir Protik
The Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust Act, 2018 defines all liberation war
participants as Bir Muktijoddha. In October 2020, the government ordered the addition of the
word "Bir" to the term "freedom fighter." In December 2021, the Ministry of Liberation War
Affairs mandated the use of "Bir" as an honorific prefix for freedom fighter names, with the
English synonym being "Heroic Freedom Fighter."

Women :

Women had participated in the Bangladesh Liberation War as Mukti Bahini soldiers. Several
female battalions were trained for guerrilla warfare by the Mukti Bahini. One of the two
female warrior heroes of the Bangladesh Liberation War is Taramon Bibi. It is well known
that Captain Sitara Begum established field hospitals for wounded Mukti Bahini fighters.
Mukti Bahini was a female organisation that included Professor Nazma Shaheen of the
University of Dhaka and her sister.
Post-war :

The Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Police, and Bangladesh Armed Forces succeeded the
Mukti Bahini. In addition to other benefits, reservations were granted to civilian fighters for
positions in government and higher education. To represent former guerrillas, the Bangladesh
Freedom Fighters Assembly was established. The Ministry of Bangladesh Liberation War is
in charge of Mukti Bahini members' welfare. After the war, the Bangladeshi government had
grave concerns about maintaining law and order due to the broad availability of weapons.
Following Pakistan's surrender, there are rumours that some militia units participated in
retaliatory attacks against the Urdu-speaking populace.
The analysis section :

The assignment's analysis section will examine the Mukti Bahini's contribution to the
unification of the Bangladeshi resistance movement's disparate factions. It will evaluate how
the force fits into the larger objectives of the liberation war, how it affects international
recognition, and how important it is as a symbol of resistance. It will also examine how the
Mukti Bahini's lasting influence shaped Bangladesh's political and military environment.

Conclusion :

To sum up, the Mukti Bahini represents Bangladesh's unwavering fight for independence and
self-determination. It stands for a people's collective will to protect their rights and take
control of their own destiny. This assignment aimed to give a thorough grasp of the
significance and impact of the Mukti Bahini, as well as a critical analysis of its function and
historical background. The conclusions and evaluations presented here highlight this force's
crucial influence on Bangladesh's history and ongoing effects on the country.

The nation of Bangladesh continues to honour and remember the Mukti Bahini, a symbol of
its unwavering struggle for independence.