After nine months of struggle, 16 December 1971 marked the beginning of an independent Bangladesh, free from enemy rule. After being set free, came the daunting task of nation building. The war left many important infrastructures of the country devastated. The country needed all the help it could get as it was suffering from abject poverty and hunger. The world was willing to help with supplies, but Bangladesh was not prepared to receive the help. The principal port of Bangladesh, its lifeline of trade, Chattogram port was not ready to function as a port. It was the same case for Mongla, the other sea port of newly independent Bangladesh. The navigation channels of Bangladeshi sea ports were filled with sea mines and sunken ships. The country needed aid for her ailing population, but it also needed to clear mines and ship-wrecks from the sea as well as the port channels for bringing in the ships of aid.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The History<\/strong>
The sea lines of Bangladesh bore the brunt of the war of 1971. After the conflict broke out on 26 March 1971, the only supply route for Pakistani military machine in her erstwhile Eastern wing was dependent in the sea as the land and aerial routes had to be traversed through India. Although India officially entered the war against Pakistan in December of 1971, it had already sided with the Bangladeshi cause when the conflicts in East Pakistan broke out. A government-in-exile of newly founded Bangladesh was formed and training camps for the freedom fighters were set up inside India. The guerilla attacks of the freedom fighters over the Pakistani regular forces wreaked havoc on the Pakistani military machine, but the Indian strategists, who regularly coordinated with Bangladeshi officers of freedom fighters in the struggle for independence, saw the relentless supply of arms and logistics through the sea kept the Pakistani armed forces up and running in the conflict. In order to crush the fighting capability of Pakistan armed forces in East Pakistan, this supply line had to be disrupted. Thus, the Operation Jackpot was conceived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Operation Jackpot was one of the most daring naval commando assaults in the history of modern warfare. It achieved the goal of disabling the functionality of Chattogram port. 10 ships docked at the port were destroyed in the attack, including MV Harmuz containing 9,910 tons of weapons, MV Al Abbas containing 10,418 tons of military equipment, and Orient Barge No. 6, which was stationed in the jetty from 9 August containing 6,276 tons of weaponry. The attack shattered the morale of Pakistani military machine and propaganda network, which previously misled world community by saying that there was a state of complete normalcy in the eastern wing. International media covered the bold military operation with special attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India lends a helping hand<\/strong>
India officially entered the war on 3 December, 1971 by enforcing a naval blockade at the Bay of Bengal through the deployment of its standard bearer aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. The naval blockade forced the war to its ultimate stage. Incessant aerial bombings by Indian aircrafts sunk much of the Pakistani vessels in the sea and left Chattogram and Mongla ports completely devastated. Prior to the end of the war, Pakistan laid naval mines near the entry points of both Mongla and Chattogram ports to deter the entry of Indian Navy and also food and emergency medical supplies. Prior to the Pakistan Army\u2019s surrender, Pakistan Navy sunk all the remaining ships at the anchorage to completely disable the functionality of both ports. As a result of intense fighting, about 150 ships sank . The ports and channels were partially blocked by submerged ships and the sea route were filled with mines. Describing the status of Chattogram port as a risky one, insurance company Lloyds raised its insurance premium on vessels headed towards Chattogram. This further discouraged shipping lines from coming to Bangladeshi waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the war was over, the newly born country needed rebuilding. The population was on the verge of a famine. However, without repairing the ports, the country would neither be able to receive emergency aid, nor participate in trade. The sea water surrounding the ports was infested by naval mines and sunken ships, which made the navigability around the port risky for any seafaring vessels. Salvaging the port from explosive sea mines and sunken ship debris was an enormous task for Bangladesh at that time as it had very limited naval capabilities. The newly founded Bangladesh even lacked the capacity to make the surrounding waters around the port navigable by removing ship debris and salvaging sunken ships. Moreover, the mines posed fatal threats to the settlements nearby, and on one occasion in 1972, 15 villagers lost their lives in a sea mine explosion and 10 huts burned down. The beloved leader of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman foresaw the dire scenario that his fellow countrymen would face if the ports were not demined soon. At his urgent request, the Indian Navy got involved in minesweeping operation and salvaging sunken ships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n