Battle of Rangamati-Mahalchari waterway

Battle of Rangamati-Mahalchari Waterway
Part of Bangladesh Liberation War
Date April 8, 1971 Location Rangamati-Mahalchari waterway, Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) Result Pakistani victory Rangamati-Mahalchari waterway captured by Pakistani forces
Belligerents
Pakistan Army	Bangladesh Mukti Bahini
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Munshi Abdur Rouf  †
Units involved
Unknown	8th East Bengal Regiment
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	100 killed

The Battle of Rangamati-Mahalchari Waterway was a strategic battle during the Bangladesh Liberation War in April 1971, in which the Pakistani Army successfully captured the Rangamati-Mahalchari waterway, overcoming the Mukti Bahini forces.

The Mukti Bahini forces, specifically the 8th East Bengal Regiment, established defensive positions at Burighat along both sides of the Chengi Lakes to restrict Pakistani forces from using the strategic Rangamati-Mahalchari waterway. Munshi Abdur Rouf, a soldier in the regiment, was assigned to this defensive position with the Mukti Bahini fighters, intending to monitor and ambush Pakistani movements along the waterway.^[1]

On April 8, 1971, the Pakistani Army launched an assault on the Mukti Bahini positions with seven speedboats and two launches. The Pakistani forces aimed to drive the Mukti Bahini away from the waterway. Pakistani troops managed to encircle nearly 100 Mukti Bahini fighters, disorienting them with concentrated fire.^[2]

Seeing the dire situation, Munshi Abdur Rouf crawled to his trench and used his automatic machine gun to cover the retreat of his fellow soldiers. His covering fire forced the Pakistani boats to temporarily pull back. However, a direct mortar strike eventually killed Rouf, halting his resistance.^[3][4]

Rouf was later honored with the title of Bir Sreshtho, the highest military award for bravery in Bangladesh.^[5][6]