“When I came back, I saw the body of those two soldiers lying limp in a pool of blood”
When the surrender was taking place in Dhaka, we were in Chattogram Hill Tracts where the fight was still continuing. In our rush to block the Rangamati-Chattogram Highway at Shiyalbukka, we were air dropped at a hill top in Changrachhari on December 15.
When the surrender was taking place in Dhaka, we were in Chattogram Hill Tracts where the fight was still continuing. In our rush to block the Rangamati-Chattogram Highway at Shiyalbukka, we were air dropped at a hill top in Changrachhari on December 15.
Amidst a barrage of Pakistani fire, the battle for the highway continued till the morning of December 16. In the morning, the Pakistani Army left for Chattogram and we marched towards Rangamati.
In the evening, we spotted a group of men shouting "Joy Bangla" at Kawkhali Bazar in Rangamati and we got to know that we had won the war.
When I got to know about the victory, this is what came to my mind: Only few hours ago I was in a trench along with two Tibetan soldiers and a Pakistani mortar shell had fallen on it. I remember running away seconds before it fell and hiding behind a tree. When I came back, I saw the body of those two soldiers lying limp in a pool of blood. One of them was older than me and I still remember his voice, "Shams, would you like a cup of tea?" He used to make tea for me every day.