3 J.C. Os and 80 other ranks. One more officer and 32 other ranks had been wounded. Repeated calls for help were sent, in consequence of which a helicopter came to evacuate the wounded, but could not land. Major Aslam from Rajshahi, however, managed to reach Pabna with eighteen soldiers, one recoilless rifle, one machine gun and some ammunition, and managed to extricate the survivors. IIc loaded the wounded into the Dodge and sent them of Rajshahi across country, to avoid possible residence on the way. He took to able-bodied with him to fight his way back to Rajshahi by road. Meeting heavy resistance on the way, he took to the countryside, where they had to wander for three days without food or water. When this column finally reached Rajshahi on I April at 10 a. m. it consisted of only eighteen solders. The rest, including Major Aslam, had been killed en route.
Thus Chgittagong, Kushtia and Pabna turned out to be the towns where we suffered the severest casualties. These places ere clear don 6 April. 16 April and 10 April respectively. In other areas where we were strength, we regained control without much resistance.
The rebels did not settle the score with West Pakistani soldiers only they also killed civilian dependents with equal barbarity. It is not possible here to document all such cases but I quote an episode to illustrate this point.
2 East Bengal, which had a sprinkling of officers, J.C.O.s and N.C.O.s (technical trades only) from west Pakistan, was located at Joydebpur in an old palace about 30 kilometers north of Dacca. As a part of the general scheme, the East Bengal battalions had been kept away from the cantonments to avoid trouble with West Pakistani units. Three companics of 2 East Bengal had moved to Ghazipur, Tangail and Mymenshingh Tor training. The fourth company was in the battalion headquarters located in the old palace building at Joydebpur. This is same place where I had witnessed the color-presenting ceremony in February 1970.
The battalion revolted on 28 March after exchanging information with other Bengali units. Their first action after this change of loyaltics was the massacre of their West Pakistani colleagues and their families. One Subedar of Ayub, who had served the battalion for over twenty years, managed to escape from this systematic butchery and reached Dacca cantonment about midday on 28 March to break the news. I saw him when he arrived in the head quarters-pale with fear, with spots of white forth settle at the corner of his dry lips. Everybody tried to console him but he was too shaken to accept a cup of tea or piece of advice. He asked for help-immediate help.
A Company of Punjab Regiment was dispatched. A few young officers accompanied the reinforcements voluntarily. As the reinforcements reached the battalion headquarters, they saw the most gruesome sight of their lives. On a heap of filth lay five children, all butchered and mutilated, their abdomens ripped with bayonets. The mothers of their children lay slaughtered and disfigured on a separate heap. Subedar Ayub identified, among them, members of his family, he went mad with shock-literally mad.
Inside the palace compound was parked a jeep fitted with a wireless set. The tyres were flat and the seats were soaked in blood. A few splashes of blood had seuled on the
