পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (দশম খণ্ড).pdf/২৭৯

254 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র : দশম খন্ড 20 Nov 71 was the Eid day. Since my wife had been Having alone at Karimganj, I had to go on that day for a while. As per planning of the joint command 20/21 night was selected as ‘D’ day for the last and the final decisive blow on the enemy. From that night in fact the actual war with the active support of the allied forces started. Since it was Eid day occupational army all over Banglade3sh was just in a relax mood. On asking from a POW later on it revealed that they least expected such a blow on that day. The planning of the ‘D’ day in that area of Sylhet was like this. One battalion of the guards with tank and artillery support was given the task of attacking Zakiganj town. One battalion GR (Gurkha Regiment) and 1" East Bengal was given the task of clearing Atgram, a very strong point of enemy defence. On the other side of the river Surma and just opposite to Atgram enemy defence, there were two enemy posts on Salam Tilla and Raja Tilla. The task of attacking and clearing those two enemy positions was given to us. Commander of Z' Force Lt Col Zia (now Col) was with the 1" East Bengal. He also accompanied that battalion from Atgram to Sylhet. By 1000 hours on 21 Nov 71, Zakiganj town was liberated. Atgram was no cleared until evening 22 Nov 71. I along with my troops of about a battalion strength reached the assembly area very late at night on 20/21 Nov 71. Since the area was not at all recceed by us earlier I decided not to launch the dawn attack on that day. I was given two objectives, so I divided my troops into two groups. I sent two companies under command of Lt Zahir to attack Raja Tilla and with companies under my command decided to attack Salam Tilla. We however surrounded the enemy by first light on 21 Nov 71. After a hasty reccee of both the objectives we decided to attack simultaneously at 1500 hours on broad day light. We launched a heroic attack as per decision and charged the enemy frontally to their utter surprise. Enemy mined the area very heavily. As a result, during attack four of my soldiers lost their legs. After two hours of fierce battle enemy started retreating. Most of the enemy managed to retreat through thick jungles leaving all their arms and ammunitions behind. We captured Raja Tilla and Salam Tilla. We captured large number of arms and ammunitions including two POW. On 23 Nov 71 I received a message from the Echo Sector HQ to report to Col Zia at some place in Atgram. At about 1200 hours I reached him and found him in a quite happy mood. He alongwith a Brigadier of allied force was sitting in a bunker. He welcomed me and offered a cigarette. He asked all about our welfare first and then gave me order to advance towards Kanaighat from the other side of the river Surma and block Kanaighat-Durbast road at any cost. With that order I came back to my area and ordered my troops to move to Luba Cherra tea garden about 10 miles away from the present position. We took up defensive posit iron in area Luba Cherra tea garden On 25/26 Nov 71. Within this short period of 4/5 days our Mukti Bahini with the help of Indian troops liberated the whole Thana of Zakiganj and more half of Thana Kanaighat. Joys of the people in that area knew no bound. After a long captive period of mine months they felt a sigh of relief. Pak army was playing hell in that entire area. They spoiled the virginity of hundreds of girls in that area. In one of the bunker of Zakiganj town, a Pak soldier was found dead with a girl. From their bunkers we discovered lot of torn Sarees and other