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Battle of Hilli

Coordinates: 24°51′N 89°22′E / 24.850°N 89.367°E / 24.850; 89.367
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Battle of Hilli
Part of the Bangladesh Liberation War

Major Niazi of 31 Punjab regiment surrendering to Lt Col V.R. Swaminathan of 22 Maratha Light infantry after the battle of Hilli/Bogura on 16 December 1971
Date22 November – 18 December 1971
(3 weeks and 5 days)
Location
Hilli–Bogura area in northern Bangladesh
Result Bangladeshi and Indian victory[1]
Belligerents

 Bangladesh

 India (22–18 December 1971)

 Pakistan

Commanders and leaders

Quazi Nuruzzaman
Lt.-Gen M.L Thapan

Lachhman Singh Lehl		 Tajammul Hussain Malik (POW)
Units involved

Sector 7
XXXIII Corps

20th Indian Mountain Division		 205th Mountaineering Brigade
Strength
15000-18000 2000-2500

The Battle of Hilli or the Battle of Bogura was a major battle fought in the Bangladesh Liberation War. It is generally regarded as the most severe pitched battle that took place in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. The battle of Hilli took place between 23 November 1971 and 11 December 1971,[1] although the final surrender took place on 18 December 1971.[2][3][4]

The battle

The main objective of the Indian Army was to control Bogura, thereby cutting off Pakistan forces in the north from the rest of East Pakistan. The best way of getting to Bogura was through Hilli. The frontal assault on the Pakistan fortifications took a huge toll on both sides before Indian forces finally broke through by establishing a block in the rear of Pakistani forces in Hilli, upon which the 4FF Battalion in Hilli withdrew for the defence of Bogura.[5][6]

Indian forces

The Indian side consisted of the 20 Indian Mountain Division led by Maj-Gen. Lachhman Singh. The constituent units of this division were 66 Brigade, 165 Brigade, 202 Brigade and 340 Brigade (all infantry units), 3 Armoured Brigade, 471 Engineer Brigade and two artillery brigades augmented by 33 Corps Artillery. The ground troops were aided by aerial support provided by the Indian Air Force which had acquired air superiority in the east and were armed with rockets, guns, and 1000lb bombs.[7][8]

Pakistani forces

On the Pakistan side, the Area of Responsibility (AOR) was on 205 Brigade of Pakistan Army led by Brigadier (later retired as General) Tajammul Hussain Malik. He had joined the brigade four days prior, when he volunteered to leave GHQ, Rawalpindi and command troops in the East Pakistan. He put up a stiff resistance that earned praise from many quarters.[9][10]

Major events of the battle

Tajammal Hussain Malik had placed screens along the railway line nearby and at the Railway Station complex in the area. The defensive positions were sited in depth to cover all routes leading into East Pakistan. They fought the entire Indian division and the Mukti Bahini soldiers until the Indians decided to bypass Hilli and establish a block in its rear. Brigadier Tajammal Hussain Malik then withdrew the forces in Hilli to avoid being cut off and to defend from the Bogura itself.[11]

Bogura was surrounded from all sides by the greater numbers of the Indian army and the Mukti Bahini. Brigadier Tajammal Hussain Malik's resistance continued even after the Pakistani Eastern Command surrendered in Dhaka on 16 December. He, in his staff car with flags and stars uncovered, went around the streets of Bogura motivating his soldiers to keep fighting. The Indian army had by then, surrounded the city of Bogura. The Brigade Major along with some 50 ORs surrendered, but Tajammal Hussain Malik, still full of vigour, refused to give up.

Significance

The battle was a significant one as it involved great personal valour on both sides. This is highlighted by the fact that soldiers on either side won their nation's highest military honours. One of the infantry battalions of the 20 Indian Mountain Division 5/11 Gorkha Rifles distinguished itself here and later earned the battle honour Bogura for itself, the commanding officer of the Indian battalion, then Lt Col F.T. Dias later rose to the rank of Lieutenant General in the Indian Army. In fact other than the battalion commander one of the company commanders, then Maj J B S Yadava become Lieutenant General and Maj Abjeet Mamik rose to become a Brigadier and Capt B K Bopanna later become Lieutenant General in the Indian Armed Forces, which is a unique honour to the soldiers of an army.[12][13][14]

This battle was also unique in that it had started before the official start of the India Pakistan war but continued right until the formal surrender of Pakistan.

Awards

Bangladesh

  • Major Quazi Nuruzzaman was awarded Bir Uttom, the second-highest award for individual gallantry in Bangladesh, but he rejected it as thousands of Mukti Bahini volunteers were killed and did not receive any recognition.[15][16][17]

India

  • Lance Naik Albert Ekka, 14 Guards of the Indian Army, who fought in this battle, received the only Param Vir Chakra to be awarded in the Eastern Sector during the 1971 War. Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military decoration.[18][19]
  • Maj J B S Yadava (later Lt General) and Maj Abhijeet Mamik (later Brigadier), both then company commanders of 5/11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army were awarded Vir Chakra the third highest gallantry award of India.[20]

Pakistan

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Battle of Hilli". Global Security.
  2. ^ "Battle of Hilli [www.bharat-rakshak.com]". www.bharat-rakshak.com. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  3. ^ "1971.11.24 | The Battle of Hilli- A Narration by Pakistani Bde Commander". সংগ্রামের নোটবুক. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  4. ^ "1971 War: The Greatest Victory". The Pioneer. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Gallantry Awards | Ministry of Defence, Government of India". www.gallantryawards.gov.in. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  6. ^ "1971 War: Battle of Bogra". Indian Defence Review. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  7. ^ Zakaria, Anam. "Remembering the war of 1971 in East Pakistan". Al Jazeera (Opinion). Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  8. ^ "How India Won the All-Important Battle of Pirgunj in 1971". The Wire. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Major General Naeem-27 Cavalry-great Platoon Commander-Great General, and man of substance". csio-ops. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  10. ^ Ahmed, Colonel nazir (2013). East Pakistan 1971 distortion and lies (2017 ed.). Karachi.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  11. ^ "A heroic 1971 battle remembered". Dawn. 27 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  12. ^ Lalotra, Gautam (11 June 2020). "Gorkha Rifles: Indian Army's Daredevil Infantry Regiment Which Has Turned The Tide of Many Battles With Famous Khukri Charge". ABP News. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  13. ^ "Gorkhas of the Indian Army and India-Nepal Relations". Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  14. ^ Alexander, Deepa (15 July 2021). "Ian Cardozo, who amputated his own leg on the battlefield, writes about the 1971 Indo-Pak War". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  15. ^ Khan, A. Qayyum (6 May 2012). "Lieutenant Colonel Quazi Nuruzzaman: A remembrance". The Daily Star. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  16. ^ "Tributes to Nuruzzaman". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  17. ^ "Muktibahini wins victory - Maj Gen ATM Abdul Wahab 365p". pdfcoffee.com. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  18. ^ Rawat, Rachna Bisht (2015). Jāmbāza : Parama Wīra Cakkara wijetā, bahādura sūramiāṃ dīāṃ kahāṇīāṃ. ISBN 978-93-5204-045-2. OCLC 911892987.
  19. ^ "Albert Ekka, braveheart from Jharkhand". The Tribune. Chandigarh. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  20. ^ Singh, V. K. (2013). Courage and conviction : an autobiography. Kunal Verma. New Delhi. ISBN 978-93-82277-57-6. OCLC 865537715.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  21. ^ "Pakistan Army pays tribute to Major Akram on 49th martyrdom anniversary". The Express Tribune. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  22. ^ "Nishan-e-Haiders of Pakistan". www.hilal.gov.pk. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  23. ^ "Nishan-e-Haider – The Supreme Military Award for the valiant Pak armed forces' martyrs". Dunya News. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  24. ^ Niazi, Amir Abdullah Khan (1998). The betrayal of East Pakistan. New Delhi: Manohar. ISBN 81-7304-256-X. OCLC 39546284.

References

Further reading

  1. Lehl, Major General Lachhman Singh. Indian Sword Strikes in East Pakistan
  2. Lehl, Major General Lachhman Singh. Victory in Bangladesh
  3. Malik, Major General Tajamal Hussain, Story of my Struggle

24°51′N 89°22′E / 24.850°N 89.367°E / 24.850; 89.367

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