The Battle of Kumira at Sitakunda during the Liberation War

Chattogram was the principal port of the then East Pakistan. It was the principal means of marine communication with the outside world as well as main source of revenue income through imports and exports. The Pakistani forces were therefore desperate to keep the port under their control during the liberation war in 1971. A huge convoy of Pakistani troops proceeded towards Chattogram from the Cumilla Cantonment on the dark night of March 25. The convoy included 24th Frontier Force Regiment and the 88th Mortar Battery of the Pakistan Army. The commanding officer was Brigadier Iqbal Shafi.

The freedom fighters planned to resist the Pakistani forces by destroying the Shubhapur Bridge. Besides, they also prepared themselves for a frontal combat in the Kumira Industrial Area. The Kumira area was almost similar in shape to the 'U' alphabet. The river and hills were in close proximity, and the Dhaka-Chattogram highway passed through its middle in the north-south direction. The railway line ran beside the hill on the east. In the middle, the human settlement was rather thin. Geographically, the place was quite suitable for frontal combat. Three armed battles took place here one after another. The Bangali freedom fighters emerged victorious in the first one. The second battle stretched over a length of 15 kilometres on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. And the last one took place in the month of December. There were therefore three episodes in the Battle of Kumiraat Sitakunda, Chattogram, which took place on March 26, March 27-28, and finally December 14-16 in 1971. The Pakistani military surrendered immediately after the lastepisode.

Over 100 injured soldiers of the 8th East Bengal Regiment escaped from Chattogram Cantonment on the night of 25 March and took up position at Kumira School and Community Centre. Then, following their defeat in the battle of resistance at Kumira on 26 March (as many as 153 Pakistani troops were killed and 14 resistance fighters embraced martyrdom), some Pakistani soldiers took up position in the Ghoramara area after evading the ambush of freedom fighters. They were almost isolated from their comrades and were 10-12 in number. They stayed at the railway depot throughout the night, butthis news spread at dawn of March 27. The political leader Khayer Hossain Chairman, local youths, workers of industries as well as ordinary people started to assemble there with sticks from the morning. At one stage, the mob led by Khayer Hossain chased the Pakistani soldiers and fired shots. The Pakistani troops also fired back. As a consequence, Dost Mohammad and Kamal Uddin were martyred, and Zahur Ahmad and Mahmud Mia Kenu were hit by bullets.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani troops reached the KumiraGhat-ghar area after crossing the Alibil and Mouloi Bridge. Three EPR soldiers including two brothers named Nurul Anwar and Bhola were positioned there in advance. They were joined by over 100 youths. The EPR soldiers put up resistance against the Pakistani troops with the support of these youths. Some Pakistanis got separated from their group and started to run in a zigzag fashion on the open ground of Jamadar Para after crossing the Kumira canal. The excited mob caught one of them and shot him dead at Sandwip channel. The rest hid in the hills on the eastern side after crossing the trunk road. At this time, a class ten student of Masjidda School named Kamal Uddin was martyred when hit by bullet.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani troops staying at hill-top TB Hospital came down to rescue the soldiers who were held captive at Sandwip ferry-ghat. Fighting then broke out between the two sides. As a result, five resistance fighters including Md. Ekhlas Uddin of Alekdia village were martyred and a local fisherman named Loghu was seriously injured. Firing was continuing intermittently from the double-storied building of IWTA at the ferry-ghat. The Pakistani soldiers threw mortar shells towards that building from the hill-top,which partially damaged it. One EPR soldier took up position there with a machine-gun. For tactical reasons, he remained there for staging an ambush without making any sound. The moment three Pakistani soldiers entered after breaking the building's door, his machine-gun roared out. Two Pakistanis were killed on the spot and one commander was injured when the bullets pierced their bodies.

Later, the Pakistani troops surrounded the Ghat-ghar building and fired indiscriminately. As a result, the EPR soldier staying there was martyred after being hit by bullet. Over 200 Pakistanis including some senior army officers were killed during fighting that day. After that, a second convoy of Pakistani troops advanced towards the Kumira battleground from Cumilla Cantonment. At 4 pm in the afternoon of 27 March, the convoy got stuck after coming near a broken bridge in the Terial area of Sitakunda. Failing to cross that bridge, the Pakistani convoy went round via Mohalankabil and then joined fellow troops at Kumira towards the evening.

On 27 March evening, Nayek Shafiul Alam came from the Chattogram Cantonment with 72 soldiers of East Bengal Regiment and then established a northerly defence outpost stretching from Ghoramara to the sea in the west and hill to the east. When this news reached the Pakistani camp at TB Hospital, they immediately fired some mortar shells in that direction. The local resistance fighter Amin Sharif was killed on the spot when hit by a shell.

At 8 a.m. in the morning of 28 March, mortar shells were fired from the defence camp of the Muktibahini at Ghoramara towards the position of No. 21 Baluch Regiment of Pakistan. Then fierce fighting erupted between the two sides. Apart from 35 soldiers of East Bengal Regiment, 11 resistance fighters were also martyred there.

Nayek Shafiul Alam had taken up position at a place adjacent to Gul Ahmad Jute Mills on the southern side along with 4-5 soldiers of the East Bengal Regiment. He returned to Ghoramara towards 4 pm in the afternoon,and then rushed towards Sitakundasadar with arms left behind by martyred soldiers of his Regiment. The Pakistani troopswerethen advancingtowards Chattogram. They reached the Colonel-hat area byevening, set fire to the Baro Aulia Dargah Sharif (shrine) and fired shots. The EPR soldier Fazal Mia (Fenchuganj, Sylhet) who was working at No. 11 wing of Halishahar and another unknown soldier were martyred when hit by bullets. Two EPR soldiers earlier took up position on a Banyan tree on the southern side of the shrine. They fired shots towards Pakistani troops, whenone Pakistani soldier died instantaneously. After that, a battle ensued between the Pakistaniand EPR troops at Hafiz Jute Mills area. Three EPR soldiers were martyred there.

Meanwhile, an EPR member laid an ambush by sitting on the branch of a Peepul tree. When the Pakistanis came within his range, he swifty threw bombs on them and fired shots. As a result, a Lorry of the Pakistan Army exploded and they suffered extensive damage. The EPR member embraced martyrdom when the enemy soldiers fired at him from close range. For stopping the Pakistani convoy, hundreds of labourers working in various industrial establishments as well as villagers of Bhatiari union assembled in the Lalpur area with sticks. At this time, the Pakistani troops blew up a pick-up carrying food byfiring mortar shells. However, after arriving from Chattogram, the EPR soldiers engaged in a fiercecombat at Trunk Road, Banglabazar, Salimpur wireless tower area, and Faujdarhat. Around 60 EPR soldiers participated in this combat, andof them 7 were wounded.

Meanwhile, 13 Pakistani Lorries reached the Faujdarhat Bazaar with three carrying ammunition and explosives. Around 50 Pakistani soldiers were moving on foot, over 300 on 10 Lorries, and the two jeeps in front were carrying Pakistani flags. The Pakistani troopsprovided cover to their advance party by firing long-distance artillery on the eastern and western flanks. The freedom fighters also fired intermittently for allowing their compatriots to move to safety.

The two sides ultimately engaged in a face-to-face combat. Some EPR soldiers tried to build up resistance by standing on drums, while some others did so by sitting on tree branches. Rejecting the call for surrender, they sacrificed their lives one after another. Nine EPR soldiers embraced martyrdom in this combat. One Chakma EPR member tried to obstruct the invaders while sitting on the branch of a tree, andmany Pakistani troops were killed from shots fired by this brave fighter. The battle lasted for around one hour. Ten ordinary people of the area also embraced martyrdom during this combat.

Meanwhile, twenty-two EPR soldiers led by Subedar Abdur Roufarrived by truck in front of Kalu Shah (R) Mazar (shrine) towards the north for putting up resistance. Rouf was in front of the truck. The advancing lorry of the Pakistani military halted when he opened brush-fire. The enemy side also opened fire swiftly. The EPR soldiers took up position for a counter-attack. But a Pakistani bullet hit the elbow and wrist of Rouf. He tried to draw the attention of the LMG-man by firing cover-shots to the left and right. But he saw the LMG-man lying dead on the road. There wereeight othercorpses nearby. Subedar Rouf then rolled down 20 feet below the overbridge. At that time, the Pakistani troops were firing at him from all four sides. Many freedom fighters could save their lives as they were in low-lands and sloping bushes on both sides. They also took shelter behind a banana orchard on the eastern side of the railway line. A local named Iqbal Mistry gave shelter to the wounded Rouf in his house. Nine wounded freedom fighters were brought to the TB Hospital,of whom threedied. The martyred EPR soldiers were: Nayek Ruhul Amin, Lance Nayek Abul Khayer, and Abdul Wadud.

In the evening, the Pakistani convoy again faced resistance from the EPR soldiers at the end of the metalled road, whenover 300 EPR men assembled at the Latifpur Primary Schoolpremises. They exchanged fire with Pakistani troops. Some EPR soldiers were martyred and three Pakistani troops were killed during this exchange.

The third episode in the Battle of Kumira took place during 14-16 December 1971. Before that, Feni was freed from the clutches of the occupiers on 10 December. The No. 11Regiment of the allied forces reached Jorarganj after crossing Shubhapur Bridge of Mirsarai on 12 December. They took control of the area up to Darogahat of Sitakunda before evening. The allied forces came face to face with the Pakistani troops after arriving at Panthichhila. Here, the freedom fighters of Mufakkar Group detained 4 Pakistani soldiers and handed them over to the Sitakunda Laboratory Camp of Muktibahini. When the allied forces reached Darogahat, the Pistol Siraj Group and the Mufakkar Group also joined them.

The Thana commander of freedom fighters Engineer Yousuf Salauddin, Captain Zafar Imam, and Brigadier Anandaswarup assembled at the Zafar-Nagar School,and sat for deciding on the war-strategy. Some corpses of Pakistani troops were lying on the north-eastern corner of the railway pond. It was assumed that they died due to shelling of allied forces. At dawn of 13 December, the Pakistani forces pulled back by abandoning their control of Gandhara and Banshbaria areas of Barabkunda. They then took preparation for a final battle by digging rows of bunkers from Baikkarpool area of Chhoto Kumira to Faujdarhat on the south. The Pakistani forces also had a strong defence-post at Kumira TB Hospital. Towards 12 noon on 13 December, the allied forces and the Muktibahini halted their advance temporarily after reaching Banshbaria, 4 kilometres south of Sitakunda.

Before going for the final battle, the allied forces sat for a second meeting in the house of Advocate Azizul Haque Chowdhury of Banshbaria. This joint meeting was attended by Brigadier Anandaswarup of the allied forces, Captain Mahfuz and Captain Zafar Imam of the Muktibahini, and the Thana commander Yousuf Salauddin. A detailed battle-strategy was drawn up here. According to that, the regular members of the allied forces and Muktibahini would split into four groups. One group would advance beside the hill, another along the railway line, a third group on the highway, and the fourth group would march towards south along the sea-embankment.

The No. 31 Jat Regiment of the allied forces advanced towards Kumira on 14 December. At around 5 a.m. dawn, the troops joined the contingent of Nayek Mohammad Sirajul Islam and then advanced together. But there were obstacles ahead. A fierce combat took place in the Silver Factory area. The freedom fighter Ali Ahmad was hit by bullet on the southern side of the house of Nabab Mia Chowdhury. He was rescued in a seriously wounded condition. Towards 10 a.m. in the morning, the industrialist Ohidul Haque, his two sons, and two employees of the factory were killed by Pakistani mortar shells.

The joint forces started to bomb the enemy base at Kumira towards 12 noon. There were then a series of attacks and counter-attacks from both sides. In accordance with the directives of Brigadier Anandaswarup, Captain Zafar Imam advanced towards Hathazari with his contingent via the Kumira Hill after leaving behind the 'C' Company of 10th East Bengal. They reached the Chattogram University area at 12.05 noon on 15 December. Another twocontingents of the allied forces assembled within 4 pm in the afternoon. They split into 4 segments and then proceeded towards the south.

After crossing the bridge area and railway crossing, the freedom fighters Havildar Siraj and Mannan saw the bunkers of Pakistani forces. Havildar Siraj fired a shot for ascertaining the enemy position. The commander of the allied forces ordered the troops to take up positions. Shots were fired from the Pakistani camp at Kumira Hospital. At the rear, two strong contingents of Pakistani forces launched a fierce and swift attack on the allied troops with SMGs and LMGs. The allied troops moved forward by launching a counter-attack from the western side. Nayek Siraj advanced after throwing a hand-grenade on enemy bunkers.

A contingent of 4th East Bengal Regiment led by Captain Gaffar advanced towards Hathazari on Rangamati-Chattogram road on 15 December. They joined Captain Zafar Imam's group at a distance of 3-4 miles from Hathazari. The commander of the allied forces then decided to attack the Pakistani base at Kumira from three sides. The attack against the enemy forces started from the morning of 16 December. The Pakistani troops also counter-attacked. Another attack was launched against the Pakistanis towards noon, andtremendous pressure was exerted on the Natunpara Cantonment from there. The allied forces and the 'C' Company of 10th East Bengal Regiment led by Lt. Didar carried out an assault on the Pakistani base at Kumira.

The last soldier of the Pakistani camp atKumira TB Hospital was killed by a bomb thrown by freedom fighter Fasiul Alam. This Punjabi soldier was firing like rain from his machine-gun. As instructed by Captain Enam, Fasiul Alam inspected the Pakistani bunkers at TB Hospitalcamp very carefully. He found that shots were being fired from only one bunker. He went behind that bunker and then threw the bomb inside. He heard a scream a few seconds later. The allied forces also struck other enemy positions one after another. Around 8-10 Pakistani troops were killed when mortar shells werefired on their bunkers adjacent to the temple in front of TB Hospital.

Lieutenant Colonel Hargobinda Singh of the allied forces reached Kumiraby 2 pm of 16 December along with his battalion. The freedom fighters of this battalion under Subedar Aziz and Nazim Uddin were at the front. Subedar Aziz and his troops were moving forward very cautiously. They dug a bunker at the pond-bank in front of Quasem Jute Mills. By then, the Pakistani troops pulled back slightly and took up position at a place called Baro Aulia. It was then 4.30 pm in the afternoon. The war had stopped throughout Bangladesh including Dhaka. The last stand of the Pakistani forces was on the southern end of the bridge over Ichhamoti canal at Madam-Bibir Hat. They destroyed the bridge while fleeing.

At that juncture, instructions came from the No. 1 sector command to do miking for asking the Pakistani forces to surrender. Leaflets were thrown from helicopters of the allied forces calling for their surrender. It was informed through leaflets that the commander-in-chief of the Pakistani forces had agreed to surrender. But the moment the freedom fighter Nazim Uddin said "Hello, hello" over a speaker, a cannon-shell fired by the Pakistani troops fell on Subedar Aziz and his company. As a result, the 15-year-old juvenile freedom fighter Nurul Alam, Subedar Aziz, Ledu Mia Driver of Muradpur-Fakirhat, and Saleh Ahmad of Kumira-Kazipara lost their lives. The freedom fighter Nazim Uddin was seriously injured. He along with the recovered corpses were taken to a hospital.

The Pakistani troops surrendered at the Ichhamoti canal area one and a half kilometres north of the battleground on 16 December afternoon. A Pakistani Major walked up to the canal-bankwhile hoisting a white flag from the southern side of the destroyed Madam-Bibir Hat Bridge. The freedom fighter Captain Rafiqul Islam moved forward from the other side towards the demolished bridge over the Ichhamoti canal. The Pakistani Major acknowledged receiving General Niazi's order to surrender. After that, all Pakistani troops including Major Hadi surrendered one after another.

[Reference: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (2020), Bangladesh Muktijuddha Gyankosh, Volume-2.]

Dr Helal Uddin Ahmed is a former Editor of Bangladesh Quarterly. hahmed1960@gmail.com