The Glory of 1971: Naval Operation At Barishal Kirtonkhola (Part I)

 Athar Uddin Talukder

The naval operation at the river Kirtonkhola was decided to be headed at 2 a.m. on 13th November1971. It was the time of ebb and envisaging the utmost speed of the tide of  water the timing was estimated. Three of ships were destined. It is alluded earlier that, for having the operation in Barisal it was we, the three naval commandos, who were staying at Kornokathi.The village Kornokathi was located on the eastern bank of the river Kirtonkhola, Barisal city was on the western side as well.That senses that the river Kirtonkhola flowed on the north -southern side near Barisal city. Which commando will dive into the river from which place that was decided according to the position of the enemy’s ship.

How I will dive into the river and get out of it that was assisted by local aid Chunnu Talukder.

In our hand the storage of extra Mines and Fines was greater in number than naval commandos. As the number of mines was greater, we each decided to take two limpet mines, as though it was principled that one mine was supposed to be attached with the chest while swimming. In this mission group leader Sayed Abdul Basher and naval commando Shah Alam also took part in. It was preoccupied that with the help of the two mines of our leader crossing the river Kirtonkhola by boat. A tiny bridge was supposed to be broken down at Rupatali adjacent to the city of Barisal. The reason behind it was to turn the invaders glance aside. We each was advised by our leader that we would dive into the river as soon as we heard the sound of bridge breaking down at 2 a.m which would happen first. According to the plan I was supposed to dive into the river following the small canal which flowed by the northern side of the Kauwarchar Madrasa (Islamic Religious Institution)  and was instructed (which was seen by us in the afternoon) to cast mines with two of the anchored ships side by side and to get out at Naptarhat. It was also predestined that co-fighter Shah Alam was supposed to dive into the river at Naptarhat and aslo assumed to stay in the house of Rustam Sarder after embedding the mine in the ship which was anchored near TNT office. One or two juveniles was commissioned to stay at the fixed place where we would get out of the river.

We arrived at about 1:00 am in that night along with three of the youths at Naptarhat from the house of Abdur Rashid .The youths remained at Naptarhat and I alone forwarded towards Kauwarchar Madrasa. At Naptarhat the juveniles who assisted in the war helped me binding two mines in my chest. There I wore a underwear for swimming. I had only two fines with me for swimming in my hand. It is noteworthy that, the opponents were aware of the attacking as several operations were conducted on the 15th August in Mongla, Chittagong Chandpur, Narayangang and Daudkandi. The distance from Naptarhat to Kauwarchar was about 750 meter. After coming about 100 yards from Naptarhat  I was in the hand of search light operation. The search light was felt upon on the one side of the sore of the river and came on the other side of the river roaming the whole river. Then the search light was taken  at the same place from where it was felt upon. After an interval of two or three minutes again the search light operation commenced. I soon recognized how it worked. No sooner had the search light was felt upon near almost to me than I laid down on the ground. As soon as the search light got off, I started walking towards Kauwarchor Madrasa. I got two or three minutes between the search light started functioning and got off. Within this moment I forwarded as much as I could. The search light was operating from a ship which was staying in the middle of the river. I soon comprehended that it would not be possible for me to reach at the canal situated on the northern part of Kauwarchor Madrasa and couldn't dive into the river from the adjusted place . On the southern part Bangladesh the canals were know by different names. For example, Nala, Khal, Furong, Nodi, Gang and so on. The canals which were less wide were named as Nala. Those might be two or three feet wide but the widest one was known as rivers such as Padma, Meghna or Jamuna, Khal or Furong was in the middle position.

It was November. Biting cold was  everywhere. My only dress was the underwear. But surprisingly I couldn't feel the acuteness of winter and unconsciously I forgot about the winter. I comprehended it was about 2 a.m. On the other hand I couldn't find out the way how to get escaped from the search light. But as could I manage I tried my best to reach Kauwarchor Madrasa. I thought I have to get into the river as soon as possible to retrieve the naval war. But it was far late to reach to  canal on the northern side of Kauwarchor Madrasa. But I reached at the tin-roofed room of Kauwachar Madrasa which was located on the southern part. My assumption was that it was about 2 a.m. The decision was to make get into the river as soon as possible. Very instantly I wore the fines, pulled -out safety pin of the mine and blocked the open hole of the pin with the rubber cap. As the mine was tied with my chest I got into the river by the southern side of Kauwarchor Madrasa by adopting crawling by my backbone. As soon as I got into the river I started crossing the river adopting 45 degree angle. When there is tide in the river one can easily cross the river within least time by the association of 45 degree angle trick.

I want to let the reader know that the weight of a limpet mine is about 5 kgs but according to the principle of Archimedes in water the limpet mine loses its weight to about 500gm due to  the upper pressure implemented by water. That is why it was not so difficult for me to carry two mines. It was exceptional to note that nobody amongst the naval commandos carried two mines at a time except I and Alam tied  in the chest. Although at the time of taking training it was not trained how to carry two mines at a time. It is because it was never anticipated that any naval commando would go to near the ships carrying two mines at the same time.

I became a victim of the search light while crossing the river. As soon as the search light reached almost near to me, I used to dive into the water of the river so that the opponents couldn't detect me. If each search light took two or three minutes to function it, it took at least 9 minutes to cross Kirtonkhola. It should be noted that, I missed my first target because I could not get into the river from the fixed place of the canal which flowed by the northern side of Kauwarchor Madrasa. When I reached at the western shore of the Kirtonkhola, then I noticed that I had stepped down three yards towards the ebb-tide from my first target. Then the speed of the ebb was the highest. Swimming against the current for about  five minutes I tried to reach my first target. But it became quite impossible to reach my the first target a single step swimming against the current. I remained there where I was. Then I could realize I would not miss my first target if I could use the fixed place from where I was supposed to get down. I have already missed my first target. Being determined, I inclined to have the second target & I got it. Accordingly I cleansed the moss by hand (having no knife) and pulled off the two mines tied with my chest by a towel and held those with my hands & fixed them to the ship body. The magnet placed with the limpet mine and the steel placed underneath the ships created a kind of magnetic force and as soon as they forwarded to each other there produced a chaotic sound.

Attaching the two mines I took rest for a minute holding the mine handle. Then I pulled off the rubber cap located at the handle of the mines. Those two caps disappeared with the current.

Again I started crossing the Kirtonkhola. Then the destination was the eastern shore of the river. That time I was easy, calm and quiet. There was no tension or quickness within myself. I was company less.

But sometimes I was accompanied by the search light. As soon as the search light neared to me I couldn't help diving my forehead, eyes, nose (only this part of my body floated on water while swimming) into water.Then I was at the middle of the river. There prevailed pin drop silence everywhere. That was a moment indeed from a point of view can be said. In my mind there appeared the moments of my taking training in the camps when  commander -in-chief of the liberation war M.A.G. Osmani, prime minister of the temporary expat Bangladesh government Taj Uddin Ahmed, temporary president Sayed Nazrul Islam, and Head of the Indian navy Nanda paid a visit to the camps. They made every naval commando understand about their duties & urged, "This is a suicide squad and it is they only who can sacrifice their lives for the country should take training ". In a very sonorous voice Taj Uddin Ahmed stated, "I am requesting the commandos to sacrifice what they have for the sake of our beloved motherland and for this they will be heroically rewarded".


Athar Uddin Talukder is a freedom
fighter (Naval Commando No. 0122).
He participated in heroic marine
operations during the Liberation War of 1971.