Operation Searchlight
(Effective 25 March Night)
OBJECTIVE
1. All Awami League activities are to be considered as rebellion. Those who support AL activities, oppose policies enforced by the martial law, are to be considered as traitors and necessary measures are to be taken against them.
2. Maximum cautions have to be taken as Awami League has a huge support among the people of various strata of society and not only among the East Pakistanis in the defense forces.
AIM
3. This OPS has to be simultaneously carried out all over the country
4. Maximum number of politicians, students' leaders, and progressive teachers and cultural activists has to be arrested
5. This OPS has to be 100% successful in Dacca. Dacca University has to be raided and thoroughly searched
6. Security in the Cantt area has to be ascertained. Anybody attempting attack on the Cantt has to be shot down
7. All communication, both internal and international, has to be disconnected. Telephone exchange, radio, TV, telex and transmitters in diplomatic missions have to be cut off.
8. West Pakistani troops are to take over the responsibility of patrol and arms depots and all East Pakistani members of the armed forces have to be disarmed. Same orders apply to both PAF and EPR.
STRATEGIES: SURPRISE AND DECEPTION
9. The president is requested to consider the necessity to keep the political dialogue ongoing at the highest level. The situation to be used to deceive Mujib. He is to be assured that despite Bhutto's disagreement, the president is to deliver a speech accepting all Awami League demands on 25 March.
10. TACTICS
A. As confidentiality is highest importance, hence the following are to be carried out by the troops deployed in different zones of the capital:
1. Raid Mujib's residence and arrest him storming through the main gate (this house is well protected and guarded)
2 Flush the university campus- specially Iqbal Hall (Dacca University), Liyaqat Hall (Technology University)
3.Close down Telephone Exchange
4. Identify those residences where arms are suspected to be stocked.
B No troops manoeuvring/ actions are to start until the telephone exchange is shut down.
C. None to be allowed to leave the Cantt after 2200 in the OPS night
D. More reinforcement has to be ascertained under any pretext in the following sites: president house, governor house, MNA hostel, radio station, TV and Telephone Exchange
E. A civil car can be used to raid Mujib's residence.
ACTION PLAN
11. A. H Hour: 0001 hrs
B. Schedule for Action
1. Commando (1PL) at Mujib's resident: 0100 hrs
2. Switch off Telephone Exchange: 0055 hrs
3.Raid university area: 0105
4.Troops to be sent to Rajarbagh Police HQ and other police stations: 0105 hrs
5. Raid residence of Mrs. Anwara Begum at 29 Dhanmondi rd: 0105 hrs
6. Curfew enforcement: to be enforced at 2300 hrs with sirens and loud speaker announcements. Initially for 30 minutes. No curfew pass to be issued. Only delivery and serious heart patients may be considered. It is to be announced that no newspapers to be published until further notice.
7. Troops to be sent on specific missions (flush Dacca university)-2300
8. Troops to be marched towards the university area; 0500
9. Search posts to be raised on roads and waterways: 0200
B. SCHEDULES FOR DAYTIME OPS
1. All suspected residences in Dhanmondi area has to be searched. So is Hindu residences in old Dacca areas.
2. all printing presses has to be closed. All the "cyclostyle" machines in university, colleges, physical trg instt and several other organizations and instt's including Technical instt has to be seized.
3. Tough curfew has to be enforced.
4. All political leaders has to be arrested
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ARMED FORCES
Respected BRG COMs are to do detail planning. But the following has to be done:
a. All East Bengalis serving in the Signals and other admin units has to be disarmed. Weapons can only be issued to West Pakistani troops. Explanation: We don't want to embarrass East Pakistani troops, at the same time we can't keep them on duty. They may not like it.
b. The Police forces have to be disarmed in all the police stations
c. The DG of the EPR has to take security measures about his forces
d. The Ansars have to hand over all weapons.
13 INFO TO BE ACQUIRED
a. The whereabouts of the following persons:
01. Sk Mujib
02. Nazrul Islam
03. Tajuddin
04. Osmani
05. Sirajul Alam
06. Mannan
07.Ataur Rahman
08. Prof Mujaffar
09. Ali Ahad
10. Matia Chowdhury
11.barrister Maudood
12. Faizul Huq
13. Tofael Ahmed
14. NA Siddiqui
15. Rauf
16. Makhan and other Students leaders
b Situations of all the Police Stations and the total number of weapons.
c. Locations of the bases and arms depots
d. Locations of the training camps
e. Locations of the cultural organizations encouraging military training's among the Bengali youth
f. Names and addresses of ex officers of regular forces actively supporting the resistance forces.
14. COMMAND AND CONTROL: two com bases are to be established
a. Dacca area
Command: Major General Forman Ali
Staff: Eastern Command Staff/or, MLHQ
Troops: Already deployed in Dacca city
B. Other areas of the province
Command: Major General KH Raja
Staff: 14 Div HQ
Troops: All forces deployed in other areas except Dacca
15 SECURITY OF THE CANTONMENT
1st phase: Withdrawal of weapons from all forces including PAF
16. Provision of Info
a. Security affairs
b. Blue Print
ENTAILMENT OF DUTIES OF THE ARMED FORCES
Dacca Area
Command & Control: Major General Rao Forman Ali
Head Quarter: MLA Zone: B
Forces:
Troops of 57 Brig HQ deployed in Dacca i.e. 18 Punjab, 32 Punjab (CO in charge Lt Col Taj), 22 Beluch, 13 Frontier Force, 31 Field Reg, 13 Light AA Reg and 3 Commando Units from Comilla
uties:
1. To disarm 2 EBR, 10 EBR, EPR-HQ (2500) and Reserve Police forces in Rajarbagh
2. Take over the Radio, TV, State Bank and the Telephone Exchange
3. Arrest all Awami League leaders (list will be provided)
4. Take over the control of the Iqbal and Zagannath Halls of Dacca university and Liyakat Hall of Technology university
5.Take over the control of security of the ammo depot and factory at Gazipur and Rajendrapur
The rest of the troops and 14 Div HQ are to be under Major Gen Khadem Hossain Raja
JESSORE
Armed Forces
107 Brig HQ, 25 Beluch, 24 Fld Reg and 55 Fld Reg
Duty
1. Disarm 1 EB Reg, Sec HQ of EPR and Reserve Police and take over weapons from the Ansars
2. Take control of the Jessore town and arrest the leaders of Awami League and Students' League
3. Occupy Telephone and Telegraph exchanges
4. Specify security zone and guard them-Jessore Cantt, Jessore town, Khulna-Jessore road and airport.
5. Disband the Kustia telephone Exchange
6. reinforce troops in Khulna if needed
KHULNA
Armed Forces
22 FF
Duty
1. Town security
2. Occupy Tel Exchange and Radio Station
3. Disarm the Wing HQ of EPR, Res Coy and the Reserve Police
4. Arrest the leaders of Awami League, the communists and the students
RANGPUR/SYEDPUR
Armed Forces
23 Brig HQ, 29 Cavalry, 26 FF and 23 Fld reg
Duty
1. Security of Rangpur/Syedpur
2.Disarm 3 EBR
3. If possible disarm the Sec HQ of EPR at Dinajpur, Res Coys and send replacement troops to various border posts
4.Occupy Tel Exchange and Radio Station at Rangpur
5. Arrest the Awami League and the students' leaders
6. Take control of the arms depot in Bogra
RAJSHAHI
Armed Forces
25 Punjab
Duty
1. To send Safqat Beluch as the CO
2. To occupy Tel Exchange and Radio Station
3. To disarm the Sec HQ of EPR and the reserve police forces
4. To take control of Rajshahi Uni & medical college
5. To arrest the Awami League and the students' leaders
SYLHET
Armed Forces
31 Punjab excluding 1 COY
Duty
1. Occupy Tel Exchange and Radio Station
2. Disarm the Sec HQ of EPR and the reserve police forces
3. Occupy airport
4. Arrest the Awami League and students' leaders
COMILLA
Forces
53 Fld Reg, 1 1/2 Morter Battaeries, Station Troops, 3 Commando BN (excluding 1 coy)
Duty
1. Disarm 4 EBR, Sec HQ of EPR and reserve police forces
2. Occupy Tel Exchange
3. Take control over Comilla town
4. Arrest the Awami League and the students' leaders
CHITTAGONG
Armed Forces
20 Beluch, 1 COY of 31 Punjab, 24 FF, Heavy Guns and Fld COY ENGRS. Moreover, at 0000 hrs, i.e. on the commencement of the OPS, Brg Iqbal is to reach Chittagong on road from Comilla with his COM & TAC HQ and BBL forces
Duty
1. Disarm EBR, Sec HQ, EPR, EBRC and reserve police forces
2. Occupy the central arms depot of the Police forces (20,000 weapons)
3. Occupy Radio station and Tel Exchange
4. Establish contact with Pakistan Navy (COMDR Momtaz)
5. Establish contact with CO 8 EB, Zhanzhua and Saigree. They are to command until Brg Iqbal shafi arrives in Chittagong
6. Attempts at disarm to be withheld if CO Zhanzhua and Saigree appears confident of their authority in command. In that case, the main road leading to the city has to be blocked with a company in "defensive Position".
7. I am taking Brig Majumder with me. CI Chowdhury of EBRC has to be arrested on the OPS night.
8. After carrying out all the above arrest the Awami League and the students' leaders