AUTHOR’S NOTE
“It took only 12 days for the Indian Army to smash its way to Dacca, an achievement reminiscent of the German Blitzkreig across France in 1940. The strategy was the same: Speed ferocity and flexibility.
-Sunday Times
Bangladesh, most recently East Pakistan and East Bengal before that, is bounded by the five states of the Indian Union: West Bengal in the West, Assam and Meghalaya in the North and North-East and Tripura and Mizoram in the East, while the Bay of Bengal lies in its South.
The most striking geographical features of the land are the low ranges in the Chittagong Hill Tract, the Madhupur Plateau north of Dacca, the few forest areas and the Sunder- bans, the delta of the Ganga nearest to the sea. The Chittagong Hill Tract constitutes of the three ranges in the Chittagong district. These run roughly on a North-South axis and reach an altitude of 400 mtrs above sea level. Madhupur Plateau varies in altitude from two to three metres, and is covered by fairly dense forest. The Sunderbans are a tract of channels, tidal creeks, swampy islands and jungles, which run inland to a distance varying between 90 to 120 kilometres.
The country is mainly formed of a vast plain interspersed by three major rivers-the Ganges, (Padma), the Jamuna (Brahmaputra) and the Meghna, and their numerous tribu- taries. The communications and transportation networks of
Bangladesh are affected to a very large degree by its topo- graphy. All roads and railways conform to the esturine features of the region and run roughly parallel to each other in the North-South direction. The inland waterways play an important part in transportation and East-West movement other than the riverine transport is difficult.
The country is divided into four major administrative sectors-Khulna, Rajshahi, Dacca, and Chittagong, each of…
INDIA’S VICTORY IN BANGLADESH
BY LT. COL. A. M. SHAIKH
(RETD.)
THE MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY
ARMY PUBLISHERS
166, New Lajpat Rai Market,
DELHI-6
Price: Rs. 20,00
Lt. Col. A. M. SHAIKH
First Edition 1982
Printed at: сознания УМЯА U
Gopal Printers
Karol Bagh, New Delhi-5
(Phone: 563525)
