Operation Jackpot: A mission that rattled Pakistan
"We started swimming in the calm waters of the river. I was moving fast and reached the jetty, where I found the big barge. The jetty was dazzling with lights, but no guard was in sight."
"We were instructed to fix the mine beneath the ship or barge, underwater, but I was so excited that I forgot all that and fixed it on the barge's side... and then I pulled off the mine's safety pin," recalled Faruk-e-Azam, Bir Pratik, who was a sub-commander of Operation Jackpot, one of the biggest operations undertaken during the Liberation War.
"The timer started, and I just had half an hour to flee the scene," Faruk wrote in his article "Amar Muktijuddher Kotha", remembering the pivotal days.
"We were swimming back from the barge fast," he described. "At one point, we were running in the middle of the paddy field. Right then, we heard the explosion. One after another, our mines started to explode, and Chattogram port and its surrounding areas were filled with thunderous bangs."
News of the incident reached the international media, and the whole world got to know that a guerrilla war was going on in the country, contrary to Pakistan's claims that there was no war and everything was under control.
Operation Jackpot was planned in May, 1971 in India. The commandos selected for the operation were trained for two months in Palashi's Ambagan.
Submariner Abdul Wahed Chowdhury, Bir Uttam, was the operation's leader in Chattogram port. Naval operations of the commandos, however, were launched in Chattogram under leadership of Sector Commandar Major Rafiqul Islam.
After the grueling training, the commandos were prepared for the operation. "I was a member of the group of 60 commandos selected to conduct the operation in Chattogram port," he wrote. "Abdul Wahed Chowdhury was made the group's commander, and Shah Alam, then a student of Chattogram Medical College, was his deputy."
"We returned to Bangladesh on August 10 in three groups, each comprising 20 commandos. But the 20 in the third group could not reach Chattogram city, as they were stranded at Mirsarai upazila. Meanwhile, three of the 40 could not report to the commander," he said.
On the morning of August 15, Commander Wahed said the operation would start that night -- it would be conducted at the same time at all naval and sea ports of East Pakistan.
"To coordinate the operation, two specific songs were to be transmitted by Kolkata's Akashbani Radio for two consecutive days, after the end of evening and morning news," the Bir Pratik wrote.
The first song, "Ami Tomay Joto Shuniye Chhilem Gaan", was transmitted on August 13. The second, "Amar Putul Ajke Prothom Jabe Shwashur Bari", was transmitted on August 15. It was the final signal to conduct the operation. "This meant that the operation would have to be conducted tonight," he wrote.
"We all reached Karnaphuli riverbank by 11:00pm. We were a total of 37 commandos. Each of us was given a limpet mine, a knife, a pair of swimming fins and some dry food. Group of three commandos were given targets to fix mines, and each group was given a sten gun."
After conducting the operation, the Pakistan army began searching for the commandos, while the general people felt invigorated, he observed.
Most ships and barges -- including MV Harmuz, MV AL Abbas and Orient Barge, which carried arms and ammunition for the Pakistan army -- were destroyed in the operation.
Contacted, Freedom Fighter Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, also chairperson of Research Centre for Bangladesh Freedom Struggle and Liberation War Trust, said Operation Jackpot was a huge moment of the Liberation War.
"The Pakistan occupational army did not admit that guerilla warfare was ongoing for liberation, but the operation exposed the situation to the whole world," he said.