Battle of Dhalai
The Battle of Dhalai was a battle in the 1971 India-Pakistan War for the liberation of Bangladesh from 28 October to 3rd November 1971 in which 3 companies (215 soldiers) of the Jat Regiment (2 JAT) of Indian Army defeated a battalion (800 soldiers) of 30th Frontier Force Rifles (30 FFR) of Pakistan Army.[1][2][3] It was an Indian attack from Tripura into East Pakistan to stop Pakistani cross-border shelling.
Details
Dhalai was a Pakistani border outpost (BOP) on a higher ground inside a tea garden 00 meters opposite India's post at Kamalpur in Tripura also in a tea garden but it was supplied by a small air strip. Pakistan Army had additional posts at Twin Hut, Red Hut and Coolie Lines stretching to a distance of 950 to 1100 m, these were fortified with concrete bunkers, barbed wire and punji stick booby traps. After unsuccessful attacks to by Mukti Bahini to overrun the Dhalai post, Indian Army gathered the intelligence that the Dhalai post was defended by 1one regular platoon of Pakistani Army assisted by Razakars, Patrakhala post with one regular company and Razakars, Kurma Chara post with one regular platoon and Razakars, Collie Lines had 30th Frontier Force Rifles (30 FFR) in counter attack role. On the night of 27-28 October 1971, an attack on Dhalai by the 1st Battalion of the East Bengal Rifles (1 EBR) of 61st Mountain Brigade of Indian Army was repulsed by 11 am on 28 October, which resulted in Pakistanis launching a counter attack on Kamalpur. The Indian General Sagat Singh to order 2nd Jat Regiment (2 JAT) commanded by the Lieutenant Colonel Dalal to counter attack Dhalai, which they did at 2.30 pm on 28 October with 3 companies (coy A, B, and C each woth a strength of 75 Jat soldierss) of 2 JAT. By 3rd November only 3 companies (225 soldiers) of 2 JAT had defeated one battalion (800 soldiers) of 30 FFR of Pakistani Army, and the Dhalai BOP and its other associated posts.[1][2]
Battle honors
Hamidur Rahman fighting on the side of "Maitri Bahini", composed of Indian Army and Mukti Bahini, was posthumously awarded the Bir Sreshtho, the highest recognition of bravery in Bangladesh.[4] He had joined East Bengal Regiment on 2 February 1971 and participated in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.[5] During the war he made a significant contribution in capturing the Dhalai Border Outpost at Srimangal. Though the independence fighters came very close to the Border Outpost, it became very difficult to capture owing to the enemy machine gun which was continuously firing from the south-western corner of the Dhalai Border Outpost.[citation needed] On 28 October 1971, a battle was taking place between 1st East Bengal Regiment and 30 A Frontier Force Regiment in Dhalai of Sylhet. 125 members of the East Bengal Regiment decided to use grenades on the machine gun posts of the Pakistani army. Rahman took the responsibility of throwing grenades, and crawled through the hilly canals. He managed to throw two grenades before he was shot.[6] Rahman jumped into the enemy machine gun post and engaged in hand-to-hand fighting with the two crews who were guarding the gun, and at one point neutralised the gun.[6] Realizing the fact that the machine gun outpost was damaged, the EBR's approach towards the enemy captured their first line within a short period of time. After the capture of the Dhalai Border Outpost, members of the EBR found the dead body of Rahman.[6] Rahman's efforts helped the East Bengal Regiment take the outpost. He was buried in Tripura in India.
See also
- Timeline of the Bangladesh Liberation War
- Military plans of the Bangladesh Liberation War
- Mitro Bahini order of battle
- Pakistan Army order of battle, December 1971
- Evolution of Pakistan Eastern Command plan
- 1971 Bangladesh genocide
- Operation Searchlight
- India-Pakistan wars and conflicts
References
- ^ a b Sinh, Ramdhir (2013). A Talent for War: The Military Biography of Lt Gen Sagat Singh. New Delhi: Vij Books India Private Limited. ISBN 9382573739.
- ^ a b Battle of Dhalai: The Bangladesh Campaign 1971, Defence Journal.
- ^ "Notable battles in the 11 Sectors". Dhaka Tribune. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- ^ Unb. "War heroes honoured". The Daily Star. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
- ^ Khan, Muazzam Hussain (2012). "Rahman, Birsrestha Mohammad Hamidur". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ a b c "বীর হামিদুরের ঘরে ফেরা". Chutir Dine, Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Mahfuz Anam. 15 December 2007. pp. 4–6.
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