Thread by @meemainseen

Brave Balochis buried by Valiant Gorkhas
Stories from the 'East'
___
During 1971 war, 2/5 Gorkha Rifles (FF), a decorated regiment of Indian Army fought and earned battle honours Pirganj and Bogra
Upon capturing Pirganj, their forward companies faced a counter attack by 32 Baloch

After the war, an article appeared in The Hindu
One intrepid Pakistani Officer leading a bayonet charge into the guts of 2/5 GR, was slashed with a khukri by an equally brave officer Capt Jatandar Nath Sood
His blood soaked epaulets identified him
Lt Col Raja Sultan
CO 32 Baloch

As his body lowered into the grave, one Gorkha JCO threw in Sultan's badges of rank, looked up towards the heaven and muttered
Let him also know this Sultan Bahadur was a Lieutenant Colonel
Much later Col (R) Itbar Singh, company commander in 1971 would send a letter to Pakistan

2/5 GR was part of 340 Infantry Brigade Group in Dec Offensive of 71
They started off by building a road block at Pir Ganj, cutting off Rangpur from Bogra
In a daring move Gorkhas with Tanks crossed Karatoa River almost capturing Pak divisional and brigade commanders in an ambush

Tajammul Malik in 'The Story of My Struggle' gives an interesting account of this ambush
He then commanded the famed Hilli Brigade
On 7 Dec during lull in battle GOC asked Tajammul to accompany him to Rangpur
"He told me it was only a short visit and we would be back by evening."

Both Gen Nazar & Brig Tajammul left Rangpur at 1500 hrs with Tajammul driving the jeep
Near Pirganj they came across the first tank within 400 yards
Tajammul was first to ask, "whose tanks are these"
GOC replied, "the enemy's"
Tajammul says Karatoa river was considered impassable

As the tank fire started, Tajammul and Nazar along with an escort managed to escape
The story of their survival in a land infested with Mukti rebels and invaded by Indians is a story for another day
For now we shall head back to 32 Baloch counter attack on to 2/5 GR at Pirganj

As Gorkhas captured Pir Ganj and dug hastily into their defences, the much anticipated attack came late into the night
It was Charlie Company under Maj Itbar Singh that faced an attack by two companies of 32 Baloch
Leading from front was their commanding officer, Lt Col Sultan

Itbar Singh later into retirement wrote a letter to Brig Nouman
I write to you as one soldier to another
I would like to assure you, and through you to your brother and sister that your brave father Lt Col Raja Sultan Mahmud died while leading his troops from the front

He died hardly 5 yards from our forward trenches when shot through his chest by a burst of MMG fire
32 Baloch did make valiant attempts to retrieve the body of their fallen Commanding Officer but in vain
The brave CO and two soldiers of 32 Baloch were given a proper burial

Maj Itbar Singh and Gorkhas of 2/5 FF arranged a burial under Muslim rites through village locals
A little south of Pirganj are marshes that join through a water channel
Bogra - Ragpur road crosses over this water channel on a small culvert

Down south from the culvert as the road leads to Bogra, at a distance of around 500 yards on the eastern side of the road lie buried Lt Col Sultan along with two other valiant soldiers of 32 Baloch
They rest in a land that is now a different country