Around this time in March 1971, we were marching towards the Rubicon, and by the 25th of the month, there was no going back. I am sharing my 2016 reflection on the nine-month war that followed and some of the questions I have in my mind in order to understand better what transpired.

How much do we know about the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War?

By M Ahmedullah, 25 March 2016

The Bangladesh Liberation War 1971 was imposed on the Bengali wing of Pakistan by the Pakistani state when they initiated a military intervention to silence those who were demanding the implementation of the 1970 election result. It was an unnecessary, brutal and unjust war imposed on a largely unarmed people (although the Bengali police force was lightly armed and slightly better armed were the Bengali military men who rebelled and joined the freedom fight) by a mad dictator ruler of Pakistan, General Yahya Khan.

However, the imposed war also awakened a people and ignited their latent spirit, which was buried deep for a long time. With their reignited spirit, the Bengali people decided that enough was enough, and this time and from now on, no one was going to rule and brutalise us again. Instead, we are going to fight for our rights and independence and become the masters of our destinies.

The war continued for just over eight months before the Indo/Pak War started in early December 1971, which brought the intervention of the Indian Army in East Pakistan. The birth of Bangladesh as an independent country resulted from the surrender of the Pakistani army/armed forces with its civilian elements to the Indian Army on 16 December 1971.

Before the Indian intervention in East Pakistan, the war was fought between the Pakistani armed forces and the Bengali Mukti-Bahinis. But how much do we know about those battles and armed confrontations on the ground and their outcomes? In this regard, the following questions come to mind:

1. Do we know approximately how many Pakistani soldiers/para-military forces were killed and wounded in combat with the Bengali Mukti-Bahinis during the nine months of the war?

2. Do we know approximately how many battles and armed confrontations took place between the Pakistani armed forces and the Bengali Mukti-Bahinis?

3. Do we know how much the fighting capacity/strength/effectiveness of the Mukti-Bahinis increased over the duration of the war?

4. Do we know how the control over territory shifted during the nine months of the war and why, and are there any maps and illustrations available in this regard?

5. Better training, better weaponry and actual fighting experiences should have, theoretically, continuously enhanced the fighting capacity of the Mukti-Bahinis during the nine months of the war. But do we know how that manifested with examples of successes on the ground?

6. How many actual localised battles against the Pakistani occupation forces were won by the Mukti-Bahinis?

7. Do we know approximately how many Mukti-Bahinis were killed or wounded in actual combat with the Pakistani armed forces?

8. Do we know the relative war performances of the sector commanders in terms of the strategies adopted and their successes and failures?

9. Do we know approximately how many Pakistani armed forces personnel were stationed in various regions and areas of Bangladesh?

10. Do we know what kind of weaponry was available and utilised by the Pakistani armed forces in East Pakistan during the nine months of the war?

Answering the above questions will help us better understand the changing dynamics of the war during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.