This was the overall situation in the Sector till end of April '71. IIundreds of trained and untrained people wanted to join us but as we had no means to provide them arms and other facilities, we sent them to training camps. Ilundreds of young people came across the border to join Mukti Bahini but the management of our leaders was so poor that most of them returned back to their homes frustrated. At that critical time our political leaders on the Sector were rather busy more in their own affairs except of course very few who really trained and succeeded in establishing some Youth Training Camps for the training of the new intakes. I may mention here the name of Mr. Dewan Farid Gazi, MCA, a sincere worker who worked day and night till the last day.
{{gap}BATTLE OF SUTARKANDI
(24 May, 1971)
As I said in the preceding paragraphs that after withdrawal from Golapganj defence we took up the alternative defence in area Baragram BOP. Our main aim was to check the advancing Pak Army to cross the river Kushiara from Sheola Ghat. At that time we had been keeping the whole area of Beani Bazar and Zakiganj thanas liberated.
In the first week of May 71 one company of 31 Punjab came upto Sheola Ghat on the other side of the river. By the second week they further increased their strength. I could easily foresee that they will soon try to cross the river and launch an attack on us. My total strength at that time was about a company. In the meantime we have been harassing them and foiled their all attempts to cross the river. For quite sometime I had been asking the Sector Commander Major Datta to get some arms and ammunitions from friends but he could not succeed.
On 20 May enemy managed to cross the river Kushiara from a detour. They took up defence along the river Kushiara. Enemy was now within our sight.
It was 23 May '71 a moonlit night. There was a pindrop silence all round. I became full confident that we may have to greet them by dawn. At about 11 o'clock at night two civilians came running to me and informed that they have seen large number of enemy advancing towards us.
To our bad luck on that very evening I had sent a platoon to Shabazpur (Latu) Railway Station to raid the enemy position. I however, instructed them to return to the base by the first light at any cost which they of course did. I knew it was difficult to resist the enemy with that little force of ours but I was confident at least we will be able to bag a large of enemy. Morale of our troops was very high.
t was fine morning of 24 May '71. At about 0600 hour's enemy reached within our rifle range. Enemy could not achieve any surprise because we had been expecting them. They launched a frontal attack with two companies strength supported by artillery fire. One company attacked Sutarkandi and another company attacked Baragram BOP via village Lapsal.
It was an expected move of enemy, so they found us ready early in the morning. It was a broad day light attack and that also through open ground. We had in fact a very big area to hold with that little force.
