পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (চতুর্দশ খণ্ড).pdf/৯৭৭

এই পাতাটির মুদ্রণ সংশোধন করা প্রয়োজন।

945 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ চতুর্দশ খন্ড শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ ৩৯৭। পাক-ভারত-বাংলাদেশ যুদ্ধের হিন্দুস্থান ষ্টান্ডার্ড ৮ ডিসেম্বর, ১৯৭১ খবর HINDUSTAN STANDARD, DECEMBER 8, 1971 JAWANS LIBERATE JESSORE, SYLHET By Amitava Das Gupta With the liberation of Jessore and Sylhet by the Indian Army on Tuesday the war in Bangladesh seems to have entered a crucial stage. Liberation of these two important towns marked the first anniversary of the election in Bangladesh, which was the turning point in the liberation movement. The crackdown on the defense positions of the Pakistani Army at Jessore by the advancing Indian columns was quite spectacular and remarkable in the Sense that the enemy had dug in for a bitter fight at this divisional headquarters at the cantonment (the other two divisional headquarters of the Pakistani forces are located at Natore and Dacca). The disintegration of the Pakistani defense at this strategic position has really opened up a wide area in the Khulna sector for steady advance of the Indian troops. In fact, the Pakistanis had already abandoned Mongia Port and evacuated Khulna. The liberation of Jessore and Sylhet, an important tea town at the Surma valley in Bangladesh, precisely indicates that the Indian Army has established total supremacy over the Pakistani armed forces in most of the strategic areas in the eastern sector. Barring Dacca no other important place is now left to the Pakistani Army for purposes of organizing serious resistance to the advancing Indian columns. Insofar as fighting in the Jessore sector is concerned, the Pakistani troops, deeply entrenched in the cantonment, had been trying to offer resistance to the Indian Army for the last 36 hours. In fact, when contact was established by the Indian troops with the Pakistani Army in the Jessore cantonment on Monday morning, bitter fighting followed. It was estimated that the Pakistani troops in brigade strength was offering resistance from their defense positions. On Tuesday morning, however, when the Indian troops made a determined push towards the cantonment the backbone of the Pakistani defense started cracking. This was indicated by the fact that the Indian troops could liberate the strategic airfield near the cantonment on Tuesday morning. This was possible by a determined attack by the Indian Army on the cantonment and its defense positions all around. This was followed by another attack on the cantonment proper by the Indian Army and this indeed completely broke the Pakistani defense in this area. Following heavy fighting the Indian troops succeeded in taking possession of the cantonment by Tuesday afternoon. The Pakistanis actually withdrew to Jessore town itself but this too proved ineffective in the face of continuing pressure from the Indians. By nightfall the Pakistani troops had to withdraw to the eastern side of the river cutting through Jessore town possibly to gain some time to cover up their retreat. In the process, Jessore town became wholly free of Pakistani troops.