Bangladesh Liberation War order of battle: Pakistan


On 25 March 1971, the Pakistani military, supported by paramilitary units, launched the military operation to pacify the insurgent-held areas of East Pakistan, which led to a prolonged conflict with the Bengali Mukti Bahini. Although conventional in nature during March–May 1971, it soon turned into a guerrilla insurgency from June of that year. Indian Army had not directly supported the Bengali resistance but had launched Operation Jackpot to support the insurgency from May 1971.
The initial deployments of the Pakistan armed forces were to combat and contain the activities of the Mukti Bahini. This was changed over time and by December 1971, 3 Infantry and 2 ad hoc divisions were deployed to face the Mitro Bahini.

Background: Initial deployments against Mukti Bahini

From the March 1971, the Pakistani military's Eastern Command under its commander Lieutenant-General A.A.K. Niazi, started military deployment to provide the defence of borders linked with India against a possible penetration by the Indian Army. During this time, the 9th Infantry Division, headquartered in Jessore under its GOC Major-General Shaukat Riaz, had held the area of responsibility for looking after the looking area south of the Padma River for the defence of borders linked with India while the 16th Infantry Division, that headquartered in Bogra under its GOC Major-General Nazar Hussain Shah, had been responsible for the area north of Padma and west of Jamuna rivers.
The 14th Infantry Division under its GOC Major-General Rahim Khan, was headquartered in Dhaka that had the entire area of responsibility for the rest of the province.
The original plan was based on a series of exercises, known as Titumeer, which were held during 1970–1971, was revised several times and approved in October 1971. General Niazi had created 4 ad hoc infantry brigades and 2 ad hoc infantry divisions before the final order of battle was devised. The final order of battle prior to 3 December 1971, was:
Eastern Command Headquarters, Dhaka

Commander, Eastern Command: Lt. Gen. A.A.K. Niazi

GOC, 14th Infantry Division : Maj. Gen. Khadim Hussain Raja

Military Advisor: Maj. Gen. Rao Farman Ali

COS: Brig. Baqir Siddiqui

CO Artillery: Brig. S.S.A. Kashim

CO [Pakistan Army Pakistan Army Armoured Corps|Armoured Corps|Armoured]: Col. Bakhtier

CO Engineers: Brig. Iqbal Sharif

CO Signals: Brig. Areef Reza

CO Medical: Brig. Fahim Ahmed Khan

CO SSG Army: Lt. Col. Tariq Mehmood

Dir. ISPR: Major Siddique Salik

Dir. Military Intelligence: Major K.M. Arif
  • Units under HQ Control:
**6th Engineer Regiment
**10th Engineer Regiment – detached to various locations
**11th Engineer Regiment – Lt. Col Sarwar
** 43rd Light Ack Ack – Lt. Col. Mohammad Afzal
** 19th Signal Regiment
**3rd Commando Battalion
**Army Aviation Squadron #4 – Lt. Col. Liakat Bokhari

[Dhaka Defence Scheme (Adhoc)]

Brig. Kashim : Dhaka Cantonment & Tongi area

Brig. Mian Mansoor : Munshiganj & Narayanganj

Brig. T.H. Malik: Hilli & Bogra

Brig. Bashir: Dhaka city proper

Brig. William Harrison: Comilla & Chittagong
  • EPCAF HQ and Sector units:
  • *Police and Razakars

36 Ad hoc Infantry Division

GOC: Major General Muhammad Jamshed HQ Dhaka

Area of Operation: Dhaka, Tangail and Mymensingh districts
  • 93 Infantry Brigade: Brig Abdul Qadir Khan HQ Mymensingh
  • *adhoc tank squadron
  • *31 Baluch – Jamalpur
  • *33 Punjab – Mymensingh
  • *71 Wing WPR – Kishorganj
  • *70 Wing WPR – Bijaipur

14 Infantry Division

GOC: Major General Abdul Majid Qazi, HQ Brahmanbaria

Area of Operation: Sylhet and Northern Comilla districts
  • 34th Punjab Regiment

Sylhet

Also: Wings of Tochi, Thal and Khyber scouts

Moulvibazar

Brahmanbaria

39 Ad hoc Division

GOC: Maj. Gen. Rahim Khan – Chandpur

Area of Operation: Comilla, Feni and Northern Chittagong
  • *21st Azad Kashmir

Comilla

  • 117th Infantry Brigade: Brig. Sheikh M.H. Atif
  • *30 Punjab – Saldanadi
  • *23 Punjab
  • *25th Frontier Force – Mainamati
  • *12th Azad Kashmir – Comilla

Feni

  • 53rde Infantry Brigade: Brig. Aslam Niazi
  • *15th Baluch – Belonia
  • *39th Baluch – Laksham

Ramgarh

  • 91st Ad hoc Brigade: Brig. Mian Taskeenuddin HQ Chittagong
  • *24th Frontier Force – Ramgarh
  • *Chakma and Mizo troops
  • *EPCAF 11th and 14th Wing
  • *One Pakistan Ranger battalion
  • *One Mujahid Battalion

Chittagong

  • 97th Independent Brigade: Brig. Ata Mohd. Khan Malik
  • *48th Baluch – Chittagong
  • *24th Frontier Force
  • *2 SSG Commando – Rangamati
  • *60th Wing Rangers – Ramgarh
  • *61st Wing Rangers – Cox's Bazar
  • * Marine Battalion

16th Infantry Division

GOC: Maj. Gen. Nazar Hussain Shah HQ: Bogra, then Natore

Area of Operation: Rajshahi, Bogra, Dinajpur, Rangpur and Pabna
Districts
  • *34th Punjab
  • *29th Cavalry

Saidpur

  • 23rd Infantry Brigade: Brig. Iqbal Shaffi
  • *25th Punjab – Lalmanirhut
  • *26th Frontier Force – Dinajpur
  • *48th Punjab – Thakurgaon
  • *8 Punjab – Rangpur
  • *86th Mujahid – Gaibandha

Bogra

  • 205th Infantry Brigade: Brig. Tajammul Hussain Malik HQ: Khetlal
  • *13th Frontier Force
  • *4th Frontier Force – Hili
  • *3rd Baluch – Jaipurhut

Natore

  • 34th Infantry Brigade: Brig. Mir Abdul Nayeem
  • *32nd Punjab – Nawabganj
  • *32nd Baloch
  • *12nd Punjab

Rajshahi

  • Rajshahi Ad hoc Brigade

9th Infantry Division

GOC: Maj. Gen HM. H. Ansari HQ Jessore

Area of Operation: Khulna, Jessore, Kushtia, Faridpur, Barisal and Patuakhali districts
  • *6th Punjab
  • *21st Punjab
  • *3rd Independent Armoured Squadron

Jhenidha

  • 57th Infantry Brigade: Brig. Manzoor Ahmed
  • *18th Punjab – Darshana
  • *50th Punjab – Jhenida
  • *29th Baluch – Kushtia

Jessore

  • 107th Infantry Brigade: Brig. Malik Hayat Khan
  • *22nd Frontier Force – Benapole
  • *38th Frontier Force – Afra
  • *15th Frontier Force – Jessore
  • *12th Punjab – Jessore

Khulna

Pakistan Air Force

Air Officer Commanding, Dacca airbase: Air Cdre Inamul Haque Khan

Officer Commanding : GP.Capt. Zulfiqar Ali Khan

Officer-in Charge, No. 14 Squadron "Tail-choppers’’: Wg. Cdr. Mohammed Afzal Chowdhury
  • Number of aircraft of the squadron: 20 F-86 Sabers
  • Training unit: 3 T-33

Pakistan Navy

Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command: R.Adm Mohammad Shariff

CO Pakistan Marines/CO SSG Navy: Capt. Ahmad Zamir
Dir. MILCOM: Cdr. T.K. Khan

Dir. Nav Intel.: Cdr. Mansurul Haq
  • 4 Gunboats: PNS Rajshahi, Comilla, Sylhet and Jessore
  • *1 Patrol Boat: PNS Balaghat
  • *17 armed boats
  • *24 improvised gunboats

Paramilitary

East Pakistan Civil Armed Forces : Maj Gen Mohammad Jamshed Khan
  • Rangpur Sector : 8th Wing, 9th Wing, 10th Wing
  • Comilla Sector : 1st Wing, 3rd Wing, 12th Wing
  • Chittagong Sector : 2nd Wing, 11st Wing, 14th Wing
  • Dacca Sector : 13th Wing, 16th Wing
  • Jessore Sector : 4th Wing, 5th Wing, 15th Wing
  • Rajshahi Sector : 6th Wing, 7th Wing, unidentified wing