GK
Shikhi

Lesson 1/43 min

Teliapara strategy and the division into 11 sectors

The Teliapara strategy

  • On 4 April 1971 Bengali military officers led by Colonel M. A. G. Osmani met at the Teliapara tea garden
  • Place: then Sylhet district, now Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj district
  • The plan for Bengali members of the army, EPR, Ansar and police to fight the Pakistani forces together is called the Teliapara strategy
  • It is known as the ‘war strategy’ of the Mukti Bahini

From Mukti Fauj to Mukti Bahini

  • It was first called Mukti Fauj; the Urdu ‘Fauj’ was later replaced by the Bangla ‘Bahini’, giving Mukti Bahini
  • Colonel Osmani led it
  • The force had two parts: the regular force (from the army, EPR and so on) and the irregular force (the people's force)

Dividing the country into 11 sectors

  • At the sector commanders' conference in Kolkata, 10–17 July 1971, the whole country was divided into 11 sectors
  • Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmad presided over the conference
  • On Prime Minister Tajuddin's instruction General Osmani divided the sectors
  • Sector 10 belonged to the naval commandos and had no separate regular sector commander

Watch out: Some books say Osmani divided the country into 11 sectors on 11 April 1971. According to Banglapedia the division was made at the July conference. The books also give 11 April for the renaming of Mukti Fauj as Mukti Bahini; we could not verify that date, so it is left out of the lesson.

Watch out: Both books say there were 64 sub-sectors. We could not confirm that total in any reliable source; Banglapedia only says each sector was divided into several sub-sectors.

Check yourself

In which district, and when, was the ‘Teliapara strategy’ made?

At a glance

  1. 1

    Teliapara strategy: 4 April 1971, Teliapara tea garden in Habiganj; led by Colonel Osmani.

  2. 2

    The ‘war strategy’ of the Mukti Bahini is the Teliapara strategy.

  3. 3

    The first name was Mukti Fauj; later Mukti Bahini.

  4. 4

    The sector commanders' conference was held on 10–17 July 1971; it divided the country into 11 sectors.

  5. 5

    Sector 10 belonged to the naval commandos; it had no regular sector commander.