On this day, December 11, 1971, Lt Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, Commander of Eastern Command of the Pakistan Army, inspected anti-aircraft guns at Dhaka airport. He tells his troops to resist the allied force at any cost. He expressed optimism that the Pakistan army would glorify its valour. Later he talks to international journalists.
The allied force face fierce resistance at the Hili frontier. They launch a combing operation at Gaibandha’s Govindaganj Pakistani base on Bogura-Rangpur highway. Pakistan troops had surrendered in the early morning.
In Haluaghat, a brigade of Pakistan troops starts to flee after fierce bloodshed. They destroy numerous bridges while retreating towards Tangail. Another Pakistani brigade leaves Mymensingh and takes shelter in their base. The allied force take control of Jamalpur by the night without any resistance.
After six days of siege and fierce fighting by the freedom fighters and joint forces against the Pakistan troops, Jamalpur was liberated in the morning on this day.
The freedom fighters led by Company Commander Faizur Rahman hoisted the victory flag of independent Bangladesh at old Wapda Bhaban at the headquarters of the occupation forces in Jamalpur.
Tangail was totally liberated from the controls of Pakistan army on this day. Freedom fighters entered Tangail town and took control of the district.
The US pressured both India and Pakistan to accept the ceasefire proposal of the UN General Assembly. White House spokesperson Ronald Ziegler said US president Richard Nixon was consulting the situation with his security adviser Henry Kissinger.
The air attack by Allied Force remained stopped temporarily following UN’s request of evacuating foreign nationals from Dhaka. Major General Rao Farman Ali of the occupation forces urged emergency ceasefire to evacuate Pakistanis from Dhaka.
A spokesperson of Pakistan army says the situation of the eastern region is not good, however, Pakistan army will never surrender, and this matter is out of the context.
‘East Pakistan’ government imposed a curfew in Dhaka with effect from 3:00pm.
