17 December 1971: A day after the fall of Dacca, Brigadier Hayat Khan with his 8000 troops surrenders to the Indian Army and Mukti Bahini, headed by Major General Dalbir Singh, GOC of the 9th Infantry Division.
Since the days of the Battle of Garibpur at the end of November, the 107th Infantry Brigade of Pakistan had put up a fierce resistance in the fighting against the Indian armed forces. The Brigade was battered in the battle of Garibpur, fled from Jessore but had managed to+
establish really strong lines of defense at Khulna and Shiramani. This defense was a tough nut to crack, so the Mukti Bahini guerillas of the 9th and 8th Sector under Major M.A Jolil and Major Manjur, decided to go in first.
More than 3600 lads of the Mukti Bahini from these 2 sectors, at first marched alongside the 32nd Infantry Brigade of the 9th Infantry Division of the Indian army from Satkhira, and as the Indian army halted, the Mukti Bahini guerillas at first had encircled Khulna from the+
other side of the Rupsha river under the cover of Indian air and artillery cover.
14th December- Mukti Bahini command headquarters were transferred to the 9th Infantry Division's Headquarters, and both the armies operated from there.+
14th December- Mukti Bahini command headquarters were transferred to the 9th Infantry Division's Headquarters, and both the armies operated from there.+
That very night, with still the Indian artillery pounding Khulna and Daulatpur, the troops of the 9th Infantry Division march from Chaugacha towards Daulatpur, taking the Khulna-Jessore road and attacks Daulatpur and Shiramani.+
At Daulatpur, even under the IAF's air cover and the screaming artillery, the Pakistani defenders are cleared at the cost of a few hundred Indian lives- and most of them were KIA. The Mukti Bahini aided in this operation at Daulatpur, but their casualties were very very less+
compared to the Indian army.
But the objective of taking Khulna was still far away, as the last of the Pakistani tanks here were still on the defensive. Indian 2 Squadron tanks of the veteran 45 Cavalry- all PT-76 tanks, and the 63rd Cavalry Regiment,+
But the objective of taking Khulna was still far away, as the last of the Pakistani tanks here were still on the defensive. Indian 2 Squadron tanks of the veteran 45 Cavalry- all PT-76 tanks, and the 63rd Cavalry Regiment,+
all T-55 heavy tanks were off with the fiercest 4th Sikh Light infantry, 13 Dogras, 26 & 8 Madras, with other elements of the 9th Infantry Division alongside Mukti Bahini Sector troops under Major Manjur & Major Jolil, moved in to this intense killing field of the Paki defenses.+
16th December- A heavy battle was fought and as Pakistani RCL guns and retreating tanks shot back, supported by the infantry, Indian tanks took them out one by one, as well as being blown up, as even troops of the 9th infantry division was mowed down.+
The ground trembled from the explosions and the rolling of the treads of the tanks, as the people in Khulna and the nearby villages held on to their homes, waiting for liberation.
Even the Hit-and-run Mukti Bahini fought like lions as the boys of Major Manjur, clambered up on+
Even the Hit-and-run Mukti Bahini fought like lions as the boys of Major Manjur, clambered up on+
Pakistani tanks, shooting down the tank commanders and crew, hurling grenades inside the hatches.+
Shiramani was a graveyard of tanks- both for Pak & India! Though Indian tanks still made it out & moved on towards Khulna, every Pakistani vehicle at least on four wheels & armor, was destroyed here!+
News of the fall of Dacca had reached everyone down here, but Brigadier Hayat Khan didn't yet show any signs of faltering. As his defenses in Shiramani started to fall, he started increasing the defenses in Khulna.+
The Bengali collaborator Razakars, Al-Bodor and Al-Shamsh also formed a huge part of these defenses and they too fought against the Allied forces horribly. They knew that if they lose here, they will have to pay for the crimes they had committed against the Bengalis here.+
So, even at nightfall, the battle of Shiramani raged, until finally the Indian army cleared their way to move into Khulna. Indian artillery was shelling Khulna and Shiramani for the entire day of 16th December, but after midnight up to dawn, the Indian artillery fire was now+
concentrated only on the Pakistani defenses in Khulna!
Dawn, 17th December- still a combined strength of 8000 Pakistani, Razakars, Al-Shamsh & Al-Bodor troops held Khulna, and Major General Dalbir Singh and his men were still not sure how much more blood was needed to be shed.+
Dawn, 17th December- still a combined strength of 8000 Pakistani, Razakars, Al-Shamsh & Al-Bodor troops held Khulna, and Major General Dalbir Singh and his men were still not sure how much more blood was needed to be shed.+
The Mukti Bahini and the 22nd Gnats of the IAF had taken out the little naval power the Pakistanis had on the Rupsha river and the leftovers of the enemy 107th Brigade- the 12th Punjab, the 15 FF, 8th Punjab and some guns of the 55 Arty, and the Bengali Razakars formed the+
last line of defense as the Indian Army was cutting through them towards the Khulna Circuit house- the HQ of Brigadier Hayat Khan. As the heavy Indian shelling stopped for a while, loudspeakers inside Khulna would scream for the Pakistanis to surrender.+
Finally, after dawn, at 7am, the Indian army and the Mukti Bahini received a message from the 107th, that Brigadier Hayat Khan wants to surrender.
Brigadier Tiwari of the 32nd infantry Brigade, the Brigade that was the spearhead of the assault of the 9th infantry division,+
Brigadier Tiwari of the 32nd infantry Brigade, the Brigade that was the spearhead of the assault of the 9th infantry division,+
met up with Major MA Jolil of the Mukti Bahini and with Major General Dalbir Singh, they drove off to meet Brigadier Hayat Khan to discuss the surrender.+
Little did he know that Brig Hayat would turn out to be his old batch mate! Brigadier Tiwari and Brigadier Hayat Khan were batch mates as young cadets in Kakul Officer's Academy while they were in training in the British Indian Army.
The two of them were even roommates!
Brigadier Hayat, seeing him, had asked-
"Tiwari, ho tum?"
("ARE YOU TIWARI?")
Surprised, Brigadier Tiwari answered-
"Abbe Hayat, tum yaha kayse?"
("HAYAT, HOW ARE YOU HERE?")+
Brigadier Hayat, seeing him, had asked-
"Tiwari, ho tum?"
("ARE YOU TIWARI?")
Surprised, Brigadier Tiwari answered-
"Abbe Hayat, tum yaha kayse?"
("HAYAT, HOW ARE YOU HERE?")+
And finally, hugging the enemy Brigadier, his once batchmate & friend, they cried!
"Arre Bhai, itna din baad ham donoka mulakat iss halat mey!"-Exclaimed Brigadier Hayat!
Maj Gen Dalbir Singh, seeing his own Brig hugging the enemy,asked-
"Tiwari! Hey friends, what's happened?"
"Arre Bhai, itna din baad ham donoka mulakat iss halat mey!"-Exclaimed Brigadier Hayat!
Maj Gen Dalbir Singh, seeing his own Brig hugging the enemy,asked-
"Tiwari! Hey friends, what's happened?"
Brig Tiwari explained to him who the commander of the enemy's 107 Infantry Brigade was to him & after a while, the emotional situation was over. Maj Gen Dalbir Singh then discussed the important issues regarding the surrender and+
decided that in the open field of Khulna's Circuit house, the 8000 enemy troops and Brigadier Hayat Khan himself, would go on with the surrender ceremony. The Mukti Bahini lads also called in Khulna's DC sahib to be in the Surrender ceremony.+
After a while, Major Jolil of the Mukti Bahini, brought the 7 Colonels under Brigadier Hayat Khan and summoned them for the official surrender ceremony down at the open ground in front of the Khulna circuit house. Brigadier Hayat had already issued the orders to his troops to+
lay down arms and every single human being under his command to assemble on the open ground of the circuit house. By the time, Major Jolil brought Hayat Khan and his colonels in front of Maj Gen Dalbir Singh, he was astonished to see so many press photographers to have been+
present there, and had already started to take photographs! As the Pakistani soldiers approached, with the Mukti Bahini personnel and the Indian army, a perimeter around the Circuit house was cordoned to keep out the walls of Bengali civilians who had arrived there to witness+
history in the making! The surrender ceremony was not grand. Maj Gen Dalbir Singh sat on the chair in the middle of the gathering and the 7 Colonels under Brig Hayat Khan along with him, marched up to him. Surrounded by thousands of Bengali civilians screaming, shouting and+
overjoyed, Maj Gen Dalbir Singh asked them to be silent and read the Surrender document. After he finished reading, Brig Hayat Khan lowered down in his head and shivering, he signed. After that, in military rules, Brig Hayat Khan & his Colonels opened their belts and placed them+
on the table of Major General Dalbir Singh. The Bengalis and the Muktis went emotional seeing the end. After all, they faced the longest full brunt of the brutality of the Pakistani occupation, and were indeed grateful to the Indian Army.+
(Source: m.facebook.com…
Pictures: Films Division, Indian Army)
Pictures: Films Division, Indian Army)
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