It’s December 13 today and right on this day in 1971, a number of important developments took place in the Liberation War. News of many areas being freed started to pour in as Pakistani soldiers surrendered.
But the Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) government in exile, well-known as Mujib Nagar government, and Delhi became concerned as news spread of the US seventh fleet entering the Indian Ocean to assist Pakistanis.
But freedom fighters and Indian troops advanced towards Dhaka.
Hundreds of Pakistani soldiers surrendered in Mainamati and Syedpur. Intense fights erupted in Khulna, Bagura and Chittagong.
Pakistani soldiers in Dhaka was encircled from three sides and faced artillery attacks from joint forces. Mukti Bahini and the Indian troops became more active, liberating Joydebpur.
A group was in Mirzapur of Tangail, another near Dhaka from Narsingdi and a third team in Daudkandi of Comilla.
Meanwhile, Pakistan urged the US to convince India to go on a ceasefire. Duly, the US proposed at the UN Security Council to stop the fighting, which went to vain after the Soviet Union vetoed to this.
Before that, the Soviet Union representative at the UNSC called for a Bangladeshi official to be asked to join the UN panel. India, too, made the same call. But Argentina raised objection about it.
Washington on this day said it has plans to evacuate US citizens from Dhaka but ducked questions about the US seventh fleet.
The New York Times reported that the Soviet Union also beefed up its presence in the Indian Ocean.
The Mujib Nagar government held an emergency meeting, taking a number of crucial decisions.
We have been publishing the series called Liberation Diary focusing on the country’s 1971 struggle for freedom by collecting information from various sources. Other than the website, the reports can also be found on the YouTube channel of thereport.live.
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