The final advance to Dhaka: Inside India’s lightning campaign in 1971 

For months, Mukti Bahini had conducted guerrilla warfare and softened Pakistani defences, while Indian forces surrounded the enemy from all directions.

By the first week of December 1971, Indian Army’s Eastern Command under Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora had attained major objectives in the border sectors of Jessore, Jhenida, Sylhet and Mymensingh.

For months, Mukti Bahini had conducted guerrilla warfare and softened Pakistani defences, while Indian forces surrounded the enemy from all directions. But Dhaka, the nerve centre of the Pakistan Army’s Eastern Command under Lt Gen A.A.K. Niazi remained untouched.

The plan now was clear: end the war quickly by striking at Dhaka itself before the United Nations could implement a ceasefire. Lt. General Sagat Singh's IV Corps, which had captured Sylhet and secured crossings over the Meghna River, would execute the most audacious manoeuvre of the campaign-the final dash to Dhaka.

The bold decision of Sagat Singh

Sagat Singh, the unconventional tactician that he was, realized that Pakistani opposition was collapsing everywhere except around Dhaka. The riverine country with its demolished bridges ruled out a direct advance by conventional means. Instead of waiting for the engineers to rebuild crossings, Sagat ordered an airborne and heli-bridge operation using Mi-4 helicopters of the Indian Air Force's 110 and 105 Helicopter Units.

His decision would allow Indian troops to leap over the mighty Meghna River — over 4,000 feet wide — bypassing entrenched enemy defences and striking deep into the rear. This operation, executed from December 9 to 11, became the centrepiece of India’s “dash to Dhaka.”

The Meghna heli bridge 

The 57 Mountain Division under Major General B. F. Gonsalves was the spearhead of this thrust. The Indian Air Force, operating hundreds of helicopters from bases at Sylhet and Kailashahar, airlifted troops, light artillery, ammunition and supplies across the Meghna.

What made the operation remarkable was not only its speed but also its scale: over 4,000 troops were ferried in less than 36 hours with not a single aircraft loss. Pakistani commanders, who had expected Indian advances along traditional routes, were completely wrong-footed. The 57 Division landed near Raipura and Narshingdi, just 40 kilometres from Dhaka, effectively cutting off the capital from reinforcement.

The race tightens around Dhaka 

In addition, the II Corps, led by Lt Gen T. N. Raina captured Jessore and Khulna while XXXIII Corps under Lieute-nant General M. L. Thapan closed in from the north through Mymensingh and Tangail.

The airborne assault by 2 Parachute Battalion at Tangail on December 11 sealed the ring around Dhaka. The paratroopers blocked the retreat of the Pakistani 93 Brigade, which was attempting to fall back from Jamalpur. Supported by local Mukti Bahini fighters and Indian ground columns advancing from the east, the paratroopers held firm against fierce counterattacks.

By December 13, Indian columns were advancing on Dhaka from all directions. The Pakistani defences, designed for a static hold around river crossings, were outflanked and demoralized. Air strikes and artillery bombardments further paralysed their command centres.

Collapse of Pakistani resistance

Within Dhaka, panic spread amongst the Pakistani troops and civilian administration. Niazi's Eastern Command had been isolated from supplies, reinforcements and communication with West Pakistan.

On 14 December, Government House and military cantonments received precision strikes from the Indian Air Force, signalling that the capital was no longer safe. Meanwhile, the Mukti Bahini had overrun surrounding towns and communication lines; the Pakistanis were confined to a shrinking perimeter around Dhaka.

The final Indian attack formations reached the outskirts of Dhaka on December 15. IV Corps from the east reached Demra and Narsingdi, while XXXIII Corps from the north pushed toward Mirpur. The 101 Communication Zone Area under Major General G. S. Nagra closed from the west. By evening, Indian troops could see Dhaka's skyline.

The fall of Dhaka

Realizing the futility of further resistance, Lieutenant General A. A. K. Niazi sent out feelers for surrender through the United Nations and foreign diplomats. On December 16, 1971, at 4:31 p.m., Niazi formally surrendered to Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora at the Dhaka Racecourse in front of tens of thousands of jubilant citizens and Mukti Bahini fighters.

It was the largest military surrender since the Second World War — more than 93,000 Pakistani troops laid down their arms. India had thus achieved a total victory just within 13 days of full-scale war.

Why the “Dash to Dhaka” worked

The success of the advance rested on three key elements: speed, deception, coordination.
First, the capability of sustaining relentless momentum was unexpected by Pakistan: Indian formations did not stop to consolidate ground already captured but forged forward day and night using local resistance networks for intelligence.

Second, Sagat Singh's helicopter bridge over the Meghna changed the face of warfare in South Asia. It showed that rivers and destroyed infrastructure could no longer serve as natural defensive barriers.

Third, combined operations by the army, air force and Mukti Bahini ensured that Pakistani troops never got time to regroup. Air dominance allowed Indian ground forces to move with confidence while Mukti Bahini units provided intelligence, sabotage, and local support.

The role of Mukti Bahini

The Mukti Bahini contribution, crucially important throughout, proved especially valuable in the final advance: they were able to guide Indian columns through unfamiliar country, seized bridges and ferries, and arranged civilian cooperation.

In Dhaka itself, resistance cells destroyed the communication lines and sent out messages to the Pakistani troops to surrender peacefully. The psychological pressure created by a rising local rebellion compounded the military pressure from the Indian advance.

Human stories and heroism

The tempo of operations did not diminish the bravery and sacrifice of individual soldiers. Indian Air Force pilots risked flying low under intense ground fire to maintain the air bridge.

The infantrymen of 4/5 Gorkha Rifles and 8 Guards fought fierce engagements along the approaches to Dhaka, while 2 Para at Tangail held their position for over 48 hours against superior numbers until relieved.

Officers like Major General Gonsalves and Lieutenant Colonel A. B. Tarapore orchestrated movements that would be studied at military academies worldwide. The Meghna heli-lift remains one of the largest and most successful helicopter operations in Asian military history.

The end of a war and birth of a nation

The dash to Dhaka was not just a tactical or operational success; the geopolitical map of South Asia had changed. Two weeks of war saw Pakistan lose half its territory and more than half its population. Bangladesh was born out of a decisive combination of Indian military skill and Bengali determination.

For India, it marked the culmination of months of political restraint and humanitarian outrage over the refugee crisis. For the Mukti Bahini, it was liberation after nine months of brutal repression.

Strategic and diplomatic impact

The rapid fall of Dhaka that took place internationally sent shockwaves of amazement around the world. The Western analysts who were preparing for a long stalemate were dismayed by the precision and tempo of the Indian offensive. In addition, the Indo–Soviet Treaty of 1971 provided the required diplomatic backing from the Soviet Union, which neutralized attempts by both the United States and China to intervene diplomatically.

By the time the United Nations called for a ceasefire, Indian troops were already in Dhaka. The political symbolism of Pakistan's surrender — in the very city it had tried to suppress — reshaped regional power equations and gave India unmatched strategic credibility.

Remembering the last push

The "Dash to Dhaka" remains a benchmark in Indian military history. It combined bold initiative with disciplined execution, and its lessons in rapid mobility and joint operations continue to shape India's strategic thinking.

Every December, the veterans recall the helicopter crossings, the exhausted soldiers sharing rations with Mukti Bahini comrades, and that surreal moment when the tricolour went up over Dhaka. For them, it was more than just victory — it was justice achieved.

The final advance on Dhaka was not a reckless charge, but a masterclass in modern war: a seamless blend of daring, logistics, and human will. It ended one of the shortest and most decisive wars of the 20th century-and in so doing, gave birth to a nation born out of courage, sacrifice, and the swift, relentless march of freedom.