Liberation Diary: Gen Aurora, troops entered East Pakistan on Dec 8

A number of significant incidents took place on this day in 1971. Indian General Jagjit Singh Aurora and his troops entered then East Pakistan, to directly join freedom fighters against the Pakistani occupation forces.  

Meanwhile, Washington rebuked Delhi for the move. 

The Pakistan Army’s regiments became isolated and it was not even possible for them to return to their East Pakistan headquarter in Dhaka.

Officials of the Bangladesh-India Allied Forces on that day took three measures and asked the Pakistanis to surrender. 

Gen Aurora, also the joint commander of the allied forces, was told to proceed towards Dhaka along with his forces, while a bridged was asked to head for Mymensingh from Haluaghat.   

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, chief of Indian army, asked the occupying Pakistan force to surrender and assured them of following the Geneva Convention to treat the surrendered Pakistan troops. This message was broadcast in Akashbani radio repeatedly.

Troops of General Sagat Singh entered from the eastern frontier and march forward towards the west. A faction advanced towards Ashuganj while another reached Ashuganj Bridge.

A proposal of immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Indian and Pakistani troops from Bangladesh is granted in UN general assembly. Indian representative in the assembly Sri Samar Sen says that Pakistan had to accept Bangladesh as an independent and sovereign state. To restore peace in the subcontinent, Awami League chief Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has to be freed.

57th Mountain division of Indian army reaches Brahmanbaria. Pakistani troops left the district before they reached. Meanwhile, S-Force reach Sarail without any resistance.

In the evening, rebel 11th East Bengal Regiment enter Azampur and Durgapur beside Ashuganj. 2nd East Bengal Regiment and a battalion of soldiers advance in between Sarail and Shahbajpur. 10th Bihar Regiment of Indian army’s 311th Mountain Brigade gather south of Durgapur. 

We have been publishing the series called Liberation Diary focusing on the country’s 1971 struggle for freedom by collecting. Other than the website, the reports can also be found on the YouTube channel of thereport.live.