A Mukti Operation Inside Dhaka

Of Blood and Fire

Rumi asked "Mother, could you drop me at Road No. 28"

It was almost 6:30 in the evening and the western sky was glowing with crimson rays of the setting sun. In the car I asked him, "When will you return? Would you like me to come for you?"

Nonchalantly Rumi said, "I don't know but you might try after half an hour."

But Rumi looked worried. He had left home yesterday after lunch and had come back today at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. His face was flushed with suppressed tension. I did not dare to ask him anything.

The house at Road No. 28 is used by Rumi and his friends as their camp belongs to Dilara Hashim. She stays in Karachi with her husband and children. The house is rented to Reicker Laboratories Limited. Chullu is the field manager of the company. In the evenings there is no one in the house except the night guard.

After dropping Rumi, I did not return home. He wanted me to come back for him after half an hour which means he will stay home tonight. So I should have a special dinner for him. Rumi loves good food. I went to Dhaka Club and bought some smoked hilsa and chicken chops from the takeaway service. After half-an hour I went to pick up Rumi. As I went near the gate I saw a Fiat 600 coming out. The car stopped beside me. Haris was driving. I asked him, "Is Rumi in there?"

Haris replied, "No, Aunty. He left about five minutes ago."

"Okay. Best of luck."

I returned home. Now every thing is uncertain. I don't know whether Rumi will come back tonight or not. I kept the food in the fridge. If he doesn't come tonight he could have it tomorrow.

Shortly after, someone was impatiently ringing the doorbell. Sharif and Jami (the author's husband and other son respectively) were upstairs. I ran from the kitchen and answered the door. Rumi, Kazi and another yong man stumbled in. I ws surprised but realized that something exciting had happened. Their faces were flushed and they were trying to restrain their jubilation. Rumi shut the door and said, "Mother, let's go upstairs. I would like to tak to you."

When we went into Rumi's room, I asked Sarif and Jami to join us. Rumi excitedly whispered, "mother, we just carried out an operation! We finished seven of eight of them."

I was stunned. I said, "What are you talking about?"

Kazi said, "Yes, Aunty. At Road No. 18, after gunning down some Pakistani soldiers, we were driving through Road No. 5. an Army jeep followed us; Rumi smashed the rear window of the car and brush-fired at the jeep. Swapan and bodi also joined him. The jeep turned turtle and many of the soldiers died."

Rumi said, "Look, Mother, the re are blisters on my neck and shoulder."

There were also holes in his shirt. I asked him, "How did t happen?"

Rumi said, "There are sparks when you fire a sten gun. Bodi and Swapan were on my two sides and the sparks from their guns caused these blisters." Then he started laughing. "The sound was so loud that I have become almost deaf"...

A little later Kazi and Salim left. I met Salim for the first time tonight. He was a student of the 10th grade of Shaheen School and had gone to Helaghar (Mukti Bahini training camp in India) in April. After dinner, Sharif, Jami, Masud and I asked him Rumi to tell us the details. This is what he told us:

A senior Chinese diplomat lives in a house on Roand No. 20 in Dhanmondi. There are some army guards in front of the house. Nearby on road No. 18 another house where a senior army officer lives is guarded by the troops. Bodi, Alam, and Shahadat planned to ambush the soldiers. They decided to carry out the operations on 25th August, exactly five months after the brutal attack on the civilians by the Pakistan Army. They brough the weapons from the Pirulia Camp on the afternoon of the 25th. Hairs and Zahir picked up Runi, Bodi, Alam and Kazi from the Gulshan jetty and took them to the house on Road No. 28 (a house used as a meeting place for the Muktis in Dhaka). They divided into two groups. Bodi and Alam in one group, Haris and Mudtar in another. The two groups hijacked two cars. Bodi and Alam hijacked a Mazda from Road No. 4 belonging to Mahboob Alam, the elder son of Mr.Abul Mansoor Ahmed.

Haris and Muktar hijacked a Fiat 600 from Dhanmondi Road No. 22. it was decided that Alam, Bodi, Dazi, Rumi, Swapan and Salim would carry out the first operation in the Dhanmondi area. Haris, Zia, Muktar, Anu and two other boys would be driving up and down the road by the Rajarbagh Police Station. After carrying out the Dhanmondi operation the first group would join them and they they would jointly carry out the operations near the Rajarbagh police lines and other places in the city.

At 7:25 in the evening, Rumi and his friends left Road No. 28 and Road No. 20 through Road No. 32. Alam was driving and Salim and Kazi were in the front seat. On the rear seat Rumi was sitting in the middle with Swapan on his right and Bodi on his left. When the reached the house of the Chinese diplomat, they found that the sentries were not there. They decided to go to Road No. 18. there they found about seven or eight sentries sitting and chatting in a relaxed mood. Alam said, "It seems the Brigadier in not at home, so these people are relaxing. Okay, boys, we have three minutes. I will go ahead and turn the car from Sat Masjid Road. The house is on the right now. After I take a U-turn it will be on the left. Then Bodi and Kazi both could fire at the sentries from the front and rear windows." As Alam took a U-turn he said, "Kazi, Salim and Bodi will fire. Rumi and Swapan will keep a watch."

As the car was slowly passing by the house, Alam commanded, "Fire."

Immediately the two sten guns went into action. Bodi aimed at the stomack level and Kazi fired at the chest. Salim also leaned forward and fired a few shots. Before they knew what was happening, most of the soldiers dropped dead on the road. The whole operation took a few seconds. Alam stepped on the accelerator and again went to Road No. 20. There was still no sentry there. It was not safe to wait any longer. Alam drove through the residential area and came near Mirpur Road. He turned towards New Market. As they neared Road No. 5, they found that soldiers were checking every car. It seemed that the news of the action on Road No. 18 had already reached the Army bosses.

The road was barricaded in front. No more than one car could pass at a time. Two trucks blocked the Mirpur Road. There was a jeep parked facing them. There was another jeep in front of the petrol pump on the left facing New Market. Some soldiers were lying position on the roadside with light machine guns. As the military police raised his hands to stop them, Alam switched off the headlights and switched on the left indicator light as if he was moving to the left lane. Then he suddenly speeded up and took a U-turn. Bodi and Rumi jointly screamed out, "There they are, lying on the ground with their LMGs!" Alam commanded, "Fire." Swapan and Bodi fired at the soldiers. Rumi looked out of the rear window to make sure they were not being followed. The soldiers did not return fire. That meant that they were hit. Alam entered into Road No. 5 and as they came near Green Road, Rumi saw an Army jeep following them. He screamed, "Look! Look! They are following us!" Immediately he shattered the rear window and opened fire at the jeep. Bodi and Swapan also joined in from his two sides. The driver of the jeep was shot and the jeep hit a lamp-post. The didn't know how many other were shot. Alam switched on the left indicator light as if he would go towards Green Road but took a right turn instead towards New Market. Looking back they saw two Army trucks and a jeep turning to the left towards Green Road.

All of them burst out laughing at this successful deception. They entered New Elephant Road and Alam switched on the headlights again. They left the weapons in the house of one of Alam's friends. Rumi, Kazi and Salim took the car which they later abandoned on a quiet road.