safely. The G.O.C. got down for a quick briefing by Lieutenant-Colonel Fatimi on the Chittagong situation. The Colonel triumphantly reported his success in controlling the East Bengal Centre by killing 50 and capturing 500 rebels. The rest of Chittagong, however, was still with the rebels.
As the G.O.C. walked to the helicopter to continue the search, he saw a terror-stricken woman with a baby in her arms. She was the wife of a West Pakistan officer desperately seeking to be evacuated to Dacca. She was accommodated.
The helicopter was in the competent hands of an ace pilot. Major Liaquat Bokhari who was ably assisted my Major Peter. They flew the G.O.C. along the Comilla Road, but could not see anything because of the low cloud formation. When they were approximately over Comeera the G.O.C. studied the quarter-inch map spread on his knees, looked out and ordered the pilot to to dawn through the clouds. As the helicopter descended and the G.O.C. craned his anxious neck to locate the column, a quick splash of bullets sprang up from the ground. The pilot pulled up instinctively. Nevertheless, his machine was hit. One bullet grazed the tail white another pierced through its belly, only inches away from the fuel tank. Major Bokhari, apparently unperturbed by the incident, said to the G.O.C. 'Sir, do you want me to make another attempt.’ ‘No, make, for Dacca direct.' The mission had failed. The column was not located.
Meanwhile, General Mitha had sent a commando detachment (ex 3 Commando Battalion) from Dacca to Chittagong by air with the same mission-to link up with the column. The detachment did not know the location of the missing column or the rebel's position. They had to rely on their own intelligence. A Bengali officer, Captain Hamid appeared from nowhere and said to the commanding officer of the commandos, I have come from Murree to look up my parents in Chittagong. I know the area. May I go with you as a guide? His offer was accepted.
The day (27 March) the commandos were to undertake the search/link up operation, the G.O.C. moved his tactical head-quarters to Chittagong and sent a column of 20 Baluch on the same mission but on a different route. The success of the operation hinged on a link up of these three columns The 20 Baluch column got involved with the rebels soon after leaving its unit area but the commandos dashed to the target, the Bengali officer with them. They had not got very far when they came under cross-fire from the hills flanking the Chittagong Comilla Road. Thirteen of them were killed including the commanding officer, two young officers, one junior commissioned officer and nine other ranks. The effort had proved both abortive and expensive.
At the other end, brigadier Iqbal Shafi had himself assumed the command of the column after the Comeera incident. He sent for a battery of mortars which joined him from Comilla on 27 March. He planned a dawn attack for 28 March. The attack was successful. He broke the resistance and cleared his way to Chittagong. He finally reported his presence at Ilaji Camp, the pre-embarkation resting place for pilgrims, on the edge of Chittagong City.
Next to Haji Camp were the Isphahani Jute Mills where, before the arrival of our troops, an orgy of blood was staged by the rebels. They collected their helpless non-
