To defend East Pakistan, Lt Gen A A K Niazi, C-in-C East Pakistan, occupied important communication centres in strength. Theatre fortresses were created at towns of Jessore, Jhendia, Bogra, Rangpur, Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Bhairab Bazar, Comilla and Chittagong. Initially the Indian Army hammered head on into the fortresses but soon changed its strategy, and, despite its very small numerical superiority of 1.5 : 1 for the Attack Ops of War manoeuvred past the Pak defences. Numerous tactical battles were fought in the riverine terrain of Bangladesh. The toughest was perhaps the battle of Hilli in the Northwestern Sector from 23 Nov to 11 Dec although the final (formal) surrender took place on 18 Dec.
It involved great personal valour from the warring sides. • Maj J B S Yadava and Maj Abjeet Mamik, company commanders 5/11 Gorkha Rifles awarded Vir Chakra. • Maj Quazi Nuruzzaman awarded with Bir Uttom, 2nd highest award for individual gallantry in Bangladesh. • Maj Muhammad Akram Shaheed of Pakistan won Nishan-e-Haider, highest military honour of the country. • Brigadier Tajammal Hussain Malik commander of Hilli fought resolutely. Once Hilli was bypassed he withdrew to Bogra and even after the formal surrender on 16 Dec, refused to surrender till finally captured by Mukti Bahini and seriously injured. Malik on return to Pakistan was the only Brigadier from East Pakistan promoted to Maj Gen. In 1980 he was arrested by Gen Zia Ul Haq and court martialled on a charge of trying to overthrow Gen Zia. Terrain in the NW Sector was dry and suitable for armour. It was linked by rail and road to the Jessore-Jhenida in the South.
The only major river within the sector was the Tista, which flowed North-West to South-East and joined the Brahmaputra at Chilmari. Pakistan’s 16 Infantry Division with its headquarters at Bogra defended this sector with; • one brigade deployed in North, with HQ at Rangpur, • second held the centre with HQ at Bogra, • third was in the South at Nator. • an ad hoc brigade held Rajshahi. • The only regiment of armour with the enemy in East Pakistan was located in this sector, its four squadrons distributed among the regular brigades of 16 Division and other ad hoc formations.
The main offensive of 33 Corps was launched by 20 Mountain Division consisting of 66, 165, 202 and 340 Infantry Brigades, 3 Armoured Brigade, 471 Engineer Brigade and two artillery brigades augmented by 33 Corps Artillery. It was tasked to capture Hilli, cut off the railway line isolating Pakistani defences in the north. The frontal assault on Hilli turned out to be slogging match against its well prepared defences, held by up to a brigade strength leading to heavy casualties on both sides. Despite repeated attacks, the defenders held resolutely on. The Indian Army soon learnt its lesson and the futility of attacking Pakistani Fortresses. 340 Mountain Brigade, the corps reserve, was tasked to move north of (i.e Bypass) Hilli and threaten Pirganj, thereby forcing the thinning of Hilli to cater for this new threat to its rear. The advance of 340 Brigade was a classic manoeuvre: skilful use of tanks and tank-mounted infantry. The increased mobility enabled bypassing of enemy frontal defences, beating them to new defensive lines they had intended to occupy and attacking them from flanks and rear.
This bold strategy resulted in the rapid fall of Pak Army strongholds, and its forces were divided and pushed back towards the two extreme ends of the sector. (Rangpur and Bogra) Mukti Bahini a highly motivated lot, thirsting for revenge against the Pak soldiers provided effective intelligence of the locations of the Pak troops, which went a long way in helping the Indian Army to get through the gaps and achieve speed and surprise in their march towards Dacca. The battle was not without its lighter moments. “You may be right, Sir. But I swear the buffaloes have 100-mm guns fitted on them and they are picking off our bunkers one by one”. Paki Post Commander at Charkai, 11 Kms N of Hilli responding to HQ’s retort that he must be seeing buffaloes because tanks cannot come through marshes and nalas. 340 Infantry Brigade entered Bogra on 16 Dec, followed by rest of the corps, effectively ending the fighting in this sector. However, five Pakistani fortified positions continued to hold out, incl Rangpur, astride Indian lines of supply, which might have posed logistic problems, had the war dragged on.
A total of 371 soldiers were killed and 961 wounded on the Indian side, most in the battle of Hilli. Fighting in Bogra was stiff, tanks found it difficult to manoeuvre in built-up area. By midday on 14 Dec a large portion of the town was taken. Fighting continued on the following day with Pakistanis sticking to a small perimeter. In the early hours of 16 Dec small groups began to surrender and later during the day came the orders to cease-fire. Hilli became a symbol of heroic Pakistani resistance but also a lesson in the limits of static defence. Fortresses can delay but cannot halt a broader operational collapse if the attacker chooses to outflank it.
