Home Liberation War REGULAR ARMY

REGULAR ARMY

 

The East Bengal Regiments stationed in Chittagong, Bhramanbaria and Joydevpur and the EPR in Chittagong revolted immediately after the crackdown. They then withdrew to safer locations, out of the reach of the Pakistani Army. On April 4, some officers of the Armed Forces involved in the resistance movement in the Eastern part of the country met at Teliapara Tea Estate, Sylhet for planning coordinated actions.

The Cabinet Meeting of the Bangladesh Government on July 11, 1971 appointed Col. M. A. G. Osmany as the Commander-in-Chief, Lt. Col. Abdur Rab as Chief of Army Staff and Group Captain A. K. Khandker as Deputy Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Air Force. In this meeting, Bangladesh was divided into Eleven Sectors under the command of the Sector Commanders.

Three brigades were formed in July, September and October and were named after respective commanders.

  • Z-force: Head Quarters : Teldhala, Commander : Lt. Col. Ziaur Rahman
  • K-force: Head Quarters : Agartala, Commander : Lt. Col. Khaled Mosharraf
  • S-force: Head Quarters : Hajamara, Commander : Lt. Col. K. M. Shafiullah


Other Liberation War Forces


Bangladesh Liberation Force


The Bangladesh Liberation Force was formed after special training of selected members of the Students’ League and young members of the Awami League. This force was popularly known as the ‘Mujib Bahini’.

  • Co-ordinator, Eastern Region: Sheikh Fazlul Huq Moni
  • Co-ordinator, Northern Region: Sirajul Alam Khan
  • Co-ordinator, Western Region: Abdur Razzak
  • Co-ordinator, Southern Region: Tofayel Ahmed


Students’ Union, NAP and Communist Party


Some members of Students’ Union, NAP and Communist Party were separately trained and organized. They directed armed action in coordination with the central command.

  • Chief of Command : Mohammed Forhad


Armed Forces in Occupied Territories


Kader Bahini


During the Liberation War, the ‘Kader Bahini’ led by Abdul Kader Siddiqui played a very significant role in the Tangail area. In the final days of the War, this armed force entered Dhaka with the Allied Forces.

  • Chief of Command : Abdul Kader Siddiqui, B.U.


Hemayet Bahini


These locally organized freedom fighters made harassing attacks on Pakistani outposts in Faridpur and parts of Khulna.

  • Chief of Command:: Hemayetuddin, B.B.


Afsar Battalion


Major Afsaruddin Ahmed organized freedom fighters in Mymensingh to form the Afsar Battalion. This battalion collected arms from the Pakistan occupation army and established liberated areas in the region.

  • Chief of Command : Major Afsaruddin Ahmed


Pakistan Armed Forces

 

  • Headquarters : Eastern Command
  • Chief Martial Law Administrator : Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan (March 6 to August, 1971)
  • Lt. Gen. A. A. K. Niazi (August to December 16, 1971)
  • Advisor : Major General Rao Farman Ali
  • Chief of Staff : Brig. Baquar Siddiqi

 

  • Regional Chiefs :
    • Major General Nazar Hossain Shah
    • Major General S. H. Ansari
    • Major General Rahim Khan


Local collaborators


In occupied Bangladesh, religion based and fundamentalist political parties (Muslim League, Jamat-e-Islami, PDP, Democratic League etc.) and their student wing members gave total support to the Pakistani Army in their acts of genocide and destruction. Besides carrying out propaganda in favour of Pakistan government, they unleashed barbaric attacks and handed over sympathizers of the Liberation War to the Pakistan Armed Forces. Their most heinous activities were perpetrated through the killing of intellectuals in Dhaka on the tragic nights of December 13 and 14, 1971.

These local collaborators organized Peace Committees, Razakars, Al-Badar and Al-Shams throughout the country.


Peace Committees

 

  • Established : April 1971
  • Convener : Khwaja Khairuddin
  • Organisers :
    • Prof. Golam Azam
    • A. Q. M. Shafiqul Islam
    • Moulana Syed Masum

 

Razakars

 

  • Established : May 1971 (Khulna)
  • Ordinance : June 1971
  • Convener : Moulana A. K. M. Yusuf
  • Director : A. S. M. Zahrul Huq

 

Al-Badar and Al-Shams


Members of Islami Chhatra Sangha, student wing of Jamat-e-Islam (re-nemed today as the Islami Chatra Shibir) was another local killer- force of the Pakistan Army, in the lines of SS of Hitler.


Civilian Administration in Occupied Bangladesh

 

  • Governor: Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan (March to August 1971), Dr. Abdul Motaleb Malek (September to December 1971)
  • Chief Secretary: Shafiul Azam, Kafiluddin Mahmud

Total Armed Forces

  • Regular Army: 80,000
  • Rangers and Militia: 24,000
  • Civilian Forces (EPCAF): 24,000
  • Razakar, Al-Badar and Al-Shams: 50,000 (estimated)