Battle of Kamalpur

{{Short description|Battle fought during Bangladesh War of Independence}}

{{infobox military conflict

| conflict = Battle of Kamalpur

| partof = Bangladesh Liberation War

| image = Kamalpur_Memorial,_Bakshigonj,_Jamalpur.jpg

| caption = Baksiganj, Kamalpur Bangladesh Liberation War significant battlefields in History

| date = 12 June – 4 December 1971

| place = Kamalpur, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

| coordinates =

| map_type =

| latitude =

| longitude =

| map_size =

| map_caption =

| map_label =

| territory = Liberation of Jamalpur

| result = First Attack: Pakistani victory

Second Attack: Bangladeshi victory

| status =

| combatant1 = {{flagicon|Bangladesh|1971}} Bangladesh

File:Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg Mukti Bahini

Supported by:

{{flagicon|india}} India (from November)

| combatant2 = {{flagicon|Pakistan}} Pakistan

{{flagicon image|Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg}} Pakistan Army

| commander1 = File:Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg Ziaur Rahman

File:Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg Abu Taher (WIA)
File:Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg Moinul Hossain.
File:Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg Hafiz (WIA)
File:Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg Syed Sadruzzaman Helal
File:Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg Salauddin Mumtaz {{KIA}}
{{flagicon|india}} Gurbax Singh
{{flagicon|india}} Hardep Singh Kler

| commander2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg}} A. A. K. Niazi

{{flagicon image|Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg}} Ahsan Malik

| units1 = File:Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg Z Force

File:Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg 1st East Bengal Regiment

| units2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg}}

31st Baluch Regiment

24th Cavalry (Frontier Force)

| strength1 = File:Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg 3,000

{{flagicon|india}} 4,000

| strength2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg}} {{ubl|7,000 infantry||70 Paramilitaries}}

| casualties1 = File:Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg {{ubl|194 killed}}

| casualties2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg}} {{ubl|497 killed|162 captured-–220 captured{{cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/kamalpur-phulbari-tasted-freedom-on-this-day-in-71-53244|title=Kamalpur, Phulbari tasted freedom on this day in '71|work=The Daily Star|date=4 December 2014}}}}

| notes =

}}

The Battle of Kamalpur ({{langx|bn|কামালপুরের যুদ্ধ}}), launched against the Pakistan Army is one of the most significant military engagements fought by the Mukti Bahini in 1971 during its war of independence from Pakistan. The Pakistani Army set up a military camp at Kamalpur (now in Baksiganj Upazila of Jamalpur District) which was attacked by 1st East Bengal Regiment of Z Force several times. The first attack was made on June 12, and a second attack was made on July 31, 1971, also another attack at 22 October 1971 and in total, there were 18 battles in Kamalpur.

Camp at Kamalpur

Kamalpur, a border area, was known as the gateway to Dhaka from the northern sector under Sector 11, the central sector and the largest one of the Bangladeshi Forces.{{Cite Banglapedia|article=Taher, Colonel Abu}} It was situated on the mouth of the old Brahmaputra and on the road link with Mymensingh via Jamalpur.[https://www.scribd.com/doc/23786918/Liberation-War-Of-Bangladesh A document on Bangladesh Liberation War published in December 1999. ] Pakistan Army set up a military camp at Kamalpur. This camp was tactically crucial for the Pakistan Army because its fall would cause the Pakistan Army to lose control over the whole Jamalpur-Dhaka region.{{Cite Banglapedia|article=Bakshiganj Upazila}}

The Pakistani troops made concrete bunkers which contained shell proof roofs. To provide communication between bunkers, they dug communication trenches. The camp perimeter included Booby traps and mine fields as defence.{{Cite web |title=A report on The News Today published on December 11, 2009. |url=http://www.newstoday-bd.com/home.asp?newsdate=12%2F11%2F2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721043841/http://www.newstoday-bd.com/home.asp?newsdate=12%2F11%2F2009 |archive-date=July 21, 2011 |access-date=October 12, 2019}}

About two companies of 31 regiment excluding Razakar paramilitaries constituted the enemy force.

Attacks on Kamalpur Camp

On June 12, 1971, the first attack was launched by Z-Force at Kamalpur Camp. Pakistani troops tried to enter the villages of Sarishabari Upazila of Jamalpur district but failed, as the villagers confronted them. Many people in the villages were killed. While retreating, the Pakistani Army set fire in the villages.

The second attack was led by Colonel (later Major General and President of Bangladesh) Ziaur Rahman on July 31, 1971. Zia was supported by Major Moinul Hossain, Captain Hafiz and Captain Salauddin Mumtaz.{{cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-15470|title=The Battle of Kamalpur-31 July 1971|work=The Daily Star|date=15 December 2007}} The attack was made with two companies Delta and Bravo from the North – East of the enemy camp. Captain Salauddin Mumtaz commanded Delta on the left and Captain Hafiz commanded Bravo on the right. As the troops were moving towards the enemy post, the enemy artillery started firing heavily. As a result, the progress of the two companies became slow. The communication system collapsed because of heavy rain. However, the troops continued moving forward and entered the outer perimeter of the enemy camp. Though casualties were increasing, the fighters made progress through the minefield. At one stage of the fight, two artillery shells dropped in front of Captain Salauddin Mumtaz and killed him. And three Mukti Bahini fighters were killed trying to save him, and Captain Hafiz was injured. In the morning at 7:30, Major Moinul Hossain, the battalion commander of 1st East Bengal Regiment ordered the battalion to retreat.

India joined the war at late November, they sent their military formations to take Kamalpur, but it was harder for the Indian Army than expected, they made more than 3 unsuccessful attempts to take Kamalpur, the Indian Army's moral was deteriorating, and casualties were heavily increasing but they knew the Pakistani forces had no artillery, only 2 mortars left and finally on December 4, the Pakistan Army was overrun and withdrawn and fell back to their headquarters at Jamalpur after an attack by the Bangladeshi Forces and the Indian Army.

The Battle of Kamalpur was the deadliest major military engagement in the Bangladeshi War of Liberation,

The Mukti Bahini lost 194 fighters in the battle.{{Cite news |date=3 December 2020 |title=Kamalpur liberation day Friday |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/232276/kamalpur-liberation-day-friday |work=Dhaka Tribune}}{{Cite web |title=On this day Kamalpur was liberated |url=https://bangladeshpost.net/posts/on-this-day-kamalpur-was-liberated-100616 |access-date=26 April 2024 |website=Bangladesh Post |language=en}} The Indian Army lost more than 46 soldiers in the battle and 113 wounded.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024|reason=The citation is not reliable and the publisher does not have reputation.}}

Meanwhile, the Pakistani Army lost 497 soldiers in the battle and around 162 and 220 soldiers captured.{{Cite news |date=4 December 2014 |title=Kamalpur, Phulbari tasted freedom on this day in '71 |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/kamalpur-phulbari-tasted-freedom-on-this-day-in-71-53244 |access-date=26 April 2024 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}

In the aftermath of the battle, Pakistani forces were defeated.