Good planning, decisive military thrust led to Pak army’s surrender in 1971

Flawless planning coupled with a decisive military thrust and risk-taking by the Indian armed forces led to the surrender of the Pakistan military and the birth of a new nation — Bangladesh — on December 16, 1971. As many as 93,000 soldiers of the Pakistan army surrendered at Dhaka following a defeat at the hands of the Indian Army.

On December 16, 1971, Maj Gen (later Lt Gen) JFR Jacob had sent a stern message to his Pakistani counterpart Lt Gen AAK Niazi. “I give you 30 minutes to reconsider the decision not to surrender,” he warned, adding that otherwise “hostilities and bombing of Dhaka will resume”.

Major General Jacob, backed by the spectacular encircling of Dhaka by the Army, the bombing by the IAF and the work of the Navy, got Lt General Niazi to surrender at 4.30 pm the same day.

Indian troops, tanks and artillery encircled Dhaka just in time for Major General Jacob to famously give ‘30 minutes’ to Niazi. The USSR had used its veto power at the UN Security Council from December 3 to 14 to hold back international pressure and the ceasefire was announced on December 15.

Between December 3 and 16, 1971, the Army troops under 2 Corps, 33 Corps and 4 Corps approached Dhaka from multiple directions. IAF fighter jets carried out bombings.

The 4 Corps, on the eastern flank of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), approached from Assam, Tripura and Mizoram to finally reach Dhaka. The Pakistani plan was to fall back to Dhaka, making it ‘impregnable’ and holding it till international intervention.

India’s out-of-the-box thinking was the use of tanks in riverine terrain and transportation of a brigade across the Meghna river using helicopters.

By December 16, the Indian troops had reached the outskirts of Dhaka. The 2 Para under Brigadier Sant Singh and a part of 101 Communication Zone led by Maj Gen G Nagra had got vacated the Mirpur bridge. The 8 Mountain Division came down from Sylhet and closed in on Dhaka. The first tanks of 5 Independent Squadron of 63 Cavalry rolled into Dhaka.

In July 1971, the Indian military had planned to block and isolate East Pakistan, segmenting Pakistani defences to prevent withdrawal or entry of reinforcements. It was quick thinking to first cross the Meghna and then race towards Dhaka.