RE-ORGANISATION OF TROOPS AT RAJSHAHI
(FROM the diary of brig. Gyas uddin chowdhury, BB Psc(Rtd) then Maj. Gyas:the
Comd. of rajshahi sub-Sector-20-1983)
After the force battle on 13 and 14 April with pak army at rajshahi town I pulled back my troops towards Nawabganj and took up a strong defence at Gdagari area. at that time I had with mc 6 Win (Battalion)of EPR intact and some elements of 7 Wing (Battalion) who came with me from Nawgaon and those who followed me from Charghat company of thes wing. In addition approximately 200 volunteer freedom fighters stayed with the troops rest of whom left after loosing the tial battle at rajshahi. The pak force which recaptured Rajshahi from us after consolidating the position for Nawabganj on 17 april. On the way they met with pockets of resistance and went back to Rajshahi On night of 20/21 april; Pack army made a desparate attempt and contated own troops at night on forward position around Godagari. In the very early hour they launched an attackwhich was a dawn attack. I was expecting such an action from them. On 20 April I ferried across river padma opposite Godagari with 300(there thousands)303 rifles; 96 Bretta guns and 3 lacs of ammunition which I collected from rajshahiarmoury between 07 April and 13 April when rajshahi town was under my captivity. Ialso sent across 48 LMGs;4 vicar machine guns:6 3" morters; which were surplus in 6 wing Hqs as they were switching over from 3" two 81 mm morters and new machine guns(latest AMerican version) and 1400 rounds of morter shells. In addition Ihad many other types of explosives and armaments which I collected mainly from EPR sector after in fell during the battle with occupation forces of 6 wing Hqs located at located at Nawabganj wich remained Liberated till 21 Aprill and acted as our firm base.
The troops who were in defence at that time had 60 LMGs; 6x81mm morters; 10x2" mors; 6xLirat (an old model of British rocket launcher) and personalweapons; ammunitions and grenades with eah fighting members. Pak army always used unconventional and most brutal technique of assault by opening their fire of automatic weapons to all the built up areas and huts of the village; and firing with flame thrower so that the whole built up area is demolished and burnt to ashes thus not providing any shelter to freedom fighters and RR shells for softening the position prior to launching an attack. In 3 weeks time our freeedom fighters already got enough battle inoculation and gave a tough fight to the assaulting troops of pak army at Godagari. I started pulling back my troops in phases in a planned way across river Padma with the help of number of speed boats of EPR; available forpatrolling by evening of he day on 21 april we withdrew alongwith all weapons and equipments on the other side of Padma just opposite to Godagari Police station. We just had 7 minor casualty.But the casualty of local people was quite heavy. I saw 24/25 injured persons being ferried across and 2/3dead bodics lying around the market arca. We also carried sufficient amount of rice and pulse from the LSD godown located at Godagari. During enemy attack from 17 April to 21 April the occupation army used in average 3 air sortiesevery day of F-86(sabre) jest in our defence. They used mostly MGs and rockets against our troops; beside hitting the civilian population and killing the innocent persons.
