Mitro Bahini order of battle


The Indian Army had no standby force ready in 1971 with the specific task of attacking East Pakistan, one of the many reasons why India did not immediately intervene after Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight in March 1971. Indian Army's Eastern Command was tasked with defending the northern and eastern borders and fighting the insurgencies in Nagaland, Mizoram and Naxalites in West Bengal at that time.
Mukti Bahini, aided by the Indian army through Operation Jackpot, led the struggle against the Pakistan Army while the Indian Army readied for intervention. General M. A. G. Osmani, Commander-in-Chief Bangladesh Forces, had divided Mukti Bahini forces into 11 geographical sectors for command and control purpose. Mukti Bahini forces numbered 30,000 regular soldiers and at least 100,000 guerrillas by December 1971.
The Indian Army Eastern Command assembled two existing infantry corps, the IV Corps and the XXXIII Corps, for operations in Bangladesh, and created a new corps besides reorganising the 101 Communication Zone as a combat formation. On 21 November 1971, the Indian and Bangladesh forces were put under a joint command structure India Bangladesh force in the eastern theatre, led by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, and this force came to be known as Mitro Bahini. In addition to 29 battalions of the Border Security Force, Mukti Bahini guerrillas operating near the border or awaiting deployment in camps inside India were organised into infantry companies and attached to various Indian formations.

Indian Army Eastern Command

HQ: Fort William, Kolkata
GOC-in-C : Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora

COS: Major General JFR Jacob

Director Military Operations: Major General Inderjit Singh Gill, MC

Director Operation Jackpot: Lieutenant General B.N. 'Jimmy' Sirkar

Bangladesh Forces Liaison: Group Captain A.K. Khandkar,
HQ: 8, Theater Road, Kolkata
Units attached to Eastern Command but outside Bangladesh operational area:

From IV Corps:
  • 2nd Infantry Division in North eastern border
  • 5th Infantry Division in North eastern border
From XXXIII Corps:
  • 17th Mountain division in Sikkim
  • 27th Mountain division in Kalimpong, North Bengal
Airborne forces attached to Eastern Command:
  • 50th Parachute Brigade CO: Brigadier Mathew Thomas
  • 2nd battalion Parachute Regiment CO: Lieutenant Colonel Kulwant Singh Pannu
  • 7th battalion Parachute Regiment CO: Lieutenant Colonel RP Singh
  • 8th battalion Parachute Regiment CO: Lieutenant Colonel Afsir Karim
  • 17 Para Field Regiment CO: Lieutenant Colonel Khanna
  • 60 Para Medical Company CO: Lieutenant Colonel M Kumar
Eastern Command Reserve:
  • 6th Mountain division less brigade HQ: Cooch Bihar GOC: Major General P.C. Reddy
  • *2 Engineer Regiments and bomb disposal group

    Bengal Area

  • *1st battalion 3rd Gurkha Rifles
  • *11th battalion Bihar Regiment
  • *12th battalion Garhwal Rifles
  • *Engineers and bomb disposal units

    Western Sector

Area of Operation: Khulna, Jessore, Kushtia and Faridpur districts

II Corps

GOC: Lieutenant General T.N. 'Tappy' Raina
HQ: Krishnanagar, West Bengal
  • 50th Parachute Brigade – Brig M. Thomas, less 2 Para battalion group in airborne role
  • 8th Mountain Artillery Brigade
  • 58th, 68th and 263rd Engineering Regiments

    9th Infantry Division

GOC: Major General Dalbir Singh
  • 32 Infantry Brigade – Brigadier M Tewari
  • 42 Infantry Brigade – Brigadier J. M. Jhoria
  • 350 Infantry Brigade – Brigadier H. S. Sandhu
  • 9th Artillery Brigade
  • *45th Cavalry
  • *102nd Engineer Regiment
  • Mukti Bahini Sector #9 – Major Jalil

    4th Mountain Division

GOC: Major General M.S. Barar
HQ: Krishnanagar
  • 7th Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Zail Singh
  • 41st Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Tony Michigan
  • 62nd Mountain Brigade - Brigadier Rajinder Nath
  • 4th Mountain Artillery Brigade
  • Mukti Bahini Sector #8 – Lieutenant Colonel M.A. Manzoor

    North Western Sector

Area of Operation: Rajshahi, Bogra, Dinajpur and Rangpur districts

Corps: XXXIII

GOC: Lieutenant General M. L. Thapan
HQ: Siliguri, West Bengal
  • Corps Artillery Brigade
  • 471st Engineering Brigade – Colonel Suri
  • *235th Engineering Regiment
  • 2 Para battalion Group in airborne role to parachute over Tangail to capture Poongli Bridge on 11 Dec, Bn gp consisting of:
  • *A field battery of 17 Para Field Regiment
  • *A section of 411 Para Field Company
  • *A surgical team of 60 Para Medical Company
  • MF Brigade – Brigadier Prem Singh
  • Mukti Bahini Sector #7 – Lieutenant Colonel Q.N. Zaman
  • 71st Mountain Brigade – Brigadier P. N. Kathpalia
  • Mukti Bahini Sector #6 – Wing Commander Mohammad K. Bashar

    20th Mountain Division

GOC: Maj. Gen. Lachman Singh
HQ: Balurghat, West Bengal
  • 66th Mountain Brigade – Brigadier G. S. Sharma
  • 165th Mountain Brigade – Brigadier R. S. Pannu
  • 202nd Mountain Brigade – Brigadier F. P. Bhatty
  • 3rd Armoured Brigade and 69th Armoured Regiment – Brigadier G. Singh Sidhu
  • 20th Mountain Artillery Brigade
  • *13th Engineering Regiment
  • 340th Mountain Brigade Group – Brigadier Joginder Singh
  • *97th Mountain Regiment

    6th Mountain Division

GOC: Major General P. C. Reddy
HQ: Cooch Bihar, West Bengal
  • 9th Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Tirit Varma
  • 99th Mountain Brigade -
  • 6th Mountain Artillery Brigade
  • *51st Engineer Regiment

    North Eastern Sector

Area of Operation: Mymensingh and Tangail districts

101st Communication Zone

GOC: Major General Gurbax Singh Gil
HQ: Guwahati, Assam
  • 312 Air Defence Brigade
  • 342 Independent Air Defence Brigade
  • *56th Mountain Regiment plus Engineers
  • 95th Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Hardev Singh Kler
  • FJ Sector Brigade – Brigadier Sant Singh
  • Mukti Bahini Sector #11 – Lieutenant Colonel Abu Taher
  • 167th Infantry Brigade – Brigadier Irani
  • 5th Mountain Brigade

    Eastern Sector

Area of Operation: Sylhet, Comilla, Noakhali & Chittagong districts

IV Corps

GOC Lieutenant General Sagat Singh
HQ: Agartala, Tripura
  • IV Corps Artillery Brigade
  • Three Independent Tank Squadrons
  • *4th, 62nd, 234th Engineer Regiments and support elements

    8th Mountain Division

GOC: Major General K. V. Krishna Rao
  • Echo Force Brigade – Brigadier Wadeker
  • Mukti Bahini Sector #5 – Major Mir Shawkat Ali
  • 59th Mountain Brigade – Brigadier C. A. Quinn
  • 81st Mountain Brigade – Brigadier R. C. V. Apte
  • 2nd Mountain Artillery Brigade
  • Mukti Bahini Sector #4 – Lieutenant Colonel C.R. Dutta

    57th Mountain Division

GOC: Major General B.F. Gonsalves
  • Mukti Bahini S Force Brigade – Lieutenant Colonel K.M. Shafiullah
  • 311th Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Mishra
  • 73rd Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Tuli
  • 61st Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Tom Pande
  • 57th Mountain Artillery Brigade
  • Mukti Bahini Sector #3 – Maj. A. N. Nuruzzaman
  • Mukti Bahini Sector #2 – Maj. A.T.M Haider
  • *15th Engineering Regiment

    23rd Mountain Division

GOC: Major General R.D. Hira
  • 301st Mountain Brigade – Brigadier H. S. Sodhi
  • 181st Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Y. C. Bakshi
  • 83rd Mountain Brigade – Brigadier B. S. Sandhu
  • 23rd Mountain Artillery Brigade
  • Kilo Force Brigade – Brigadier Ananda Swaroop containing:
  • *Mukti Bahini Sector #1 – Major Rafiqul Islam
  • *Mukti Bahini K Force Brigade – Major Salek Chowdhury
  • *Mizo Range Hills Brigade

    Indian Navy Eastern Fleet

FOC-in-C: Vice Admiral Nilakanta Krishnan
HQ: Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

FOCEF: Rear Admiral S. H. Sarma

A liaison officer from the Navy was posted at Fort William to coordinate matters with the Army Eastern Command. The fleet was at its peacetime standing when radio intercepts warned of PNS Ghazi entering the Bay of Bengal. and part of the Eastern Fleet was moved to the Andamans as a result.
  • – Captain Swaraj Parkash
  • INS Brahmaputra – Captain J.C. Puri
  • INS Beas – Captain L. Ramdas
  • INS Kamorta – Captain M.P. Awati
  • INS Kavaratti - Captain S. Paul
  • INS Rajput – Lieutenant Commander Inder Singh
  • INS Kalvari –
  • INS Khandari – Commander R. J. Milan
  • INS Panvel – Lieutenant Commander G.R. Naroha
  • INS Pulikat – Lieutenant Commander S. Krishnnan
  • INS Panaji – Lieutenant Commander R. Gupta
  • INS Akshay – Lieutenant Commander S.D. Moore
  • INS Guldar – Lieutenant Commander U. Dabir
  • INS Gharial – Lieutenant Commander A.K. Sharma
  • INS Maggar – Lieutenant Commander A.T.N. Singhal

    [Bangladesh Navy]

Two gunboats under Indian officers and crewed by Bengali seamen were engaged in Operation Hotpants prior to 3 December 1971, harassing merchant traffic to East Pakistan and laying mines on the waterways. After 6 December, when the Indian government recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign nation, the crew wore uniforms of their respective organisations.

Squadron CO: Commander M.N.R. Samant
Prior to 1971, Indian Air Force had two command centers dealing with the East, Eastern Air Command responsible for the North Eastern Border, and the Central Air Command, looking after areas south of the Ganges river.
Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal formed an advance HQ at Fort William after consultation with Major General Jacob to coordinate operations with the army before the start of the war.
Western Sector:
  • No. 7 Squadron IAF : Hawker Hunter F. MK 56 and 2 F. MK 1 - Bagdogra. The squadron was moved Chamb after 12 December.
  • No. 14 Squadron IAF : Hawker Hunter F. MK 56 - Kalaikudda - Fighter
  • No. 16 Squadron IAF : Canberra - Kalaikudda - - Bomber
  • No. 22 Squadron IAF : Folland Gnat MK 1 Dum Dum, then Kalaikudda, then Calcutta
  • No. 30 Squadron IAF : Mig 21 FL - Kalaikudda - Interceptor
  • No. 221 Squadron IAF : Su-7 BMK - Panagarh – Fighter/Bomber
  • No. 104 Helicopter Squadron, IAF and Helicopter
North East and North Western Sector:
AOC-in-C: Air Vice Marshal Devasher HQ: Shillong
  • No. 4 Squadron IAF : Mig 21 FL - Gauhati
  • No. 15 Squadron IAF : Folland Gnat - Gauhati then Agortala
  • No. 17 Squadron IAF : Hawker Hunter F MK 56 - Hashimara
  • No. 37 Squadron IAF : Hawker Hunter F MK 10 - Hashimara
  • No. 24 Squadron IAF : Folland Gnat Gauhati
  • No. 28 Squadron IAF : Mig 21FL Gauhati
  • No. 105 Helicopter Unit, IAF and No. 121 Helicopter Flight, IAF - Agartala