Armed Forces Day (Bangladesh)
| Armed Forces Day | |
|---|---|
| Observed by | Bangladesh |
| Date | 21 November |
| Next time | 21 November 2017 |
| Frequency | annual |
Armed Forces Day (Bengali: সশস্ত্র বাহিনী দিবস) is observed in Bangladesh on 21 November. This signifies the day in 1971, when the members of Army, Navy and Air force of the Bangladesh liberation war forces were fully operational and launched a coordinated offensive against the Pakistani Army. On 16 December 1971, the Pakistani Army of 93,000 surrendered to the allied forces of Bangladesh and India (The Joint Command), ending the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
On 21 November, after almost nine months into the war of liberation, all three forces led a joint operation simultaneously, marking the day to be the day as Armed Forces Day. The joining of these forces resulted in large areas along the border to be liberated every day. This allowed the Bangladesh Forces to disrupt the lines of communication within a few days. This day bears special significance in the history of Bangladesh and is being celebrated every year with due solemnity and importance, to honour the sacrifices made by the members of the Bangladesh Armed forces, who fought and gave their lives in the liberation war.
Bangladesh Liberation War initially commenced in the form of resistance movement as the Pakistan Army cracked down on 25 March 1971 primarily at Dhaka and subsequently extending it to the entire of Bangladesh. Gradually, the Bangladesh Forces organised small groups of guerrilla fighters who followed 'hit and run' tactics. As a third stage in the war, the Bengali military personnel who were members of Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force deserted their respective units to join Bangladesh Forces and organised them into regular units across the border of Indian territory primarily as Land Force. A small group of Naval Commandos also opened the Naval wing and a few Pilots and Airmen formed the Air Wing.
Bangladesh Army After a prolonged guerrilla warfare was launched by Bangladesh Forces, which continued for a number of months. A further restructuring was undertaken, and the Bangladesh Forces were organised into three brigade size combat groups.
Bangladesh Navy Many of the Bengali sailors and officers in the Pakistan Navy decamped, to form an emerging Bangladesh Navy. Initially, there were two ships BNS Padma (1973) and PALASH and 45 navy personnel. They prevented the supply of arms, ammunitions and rations for the occupation forces. This operation from the Naval Commandos made Ports in Chittagong and Mongla highly lethal for the occupation forces.
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