On 16 April 1971, the Pakistani FF started to approach towards the Regiment camp at Gangasagar. They were coming over the railway of the Comilla-Akhaura root. To counteract this, Major Shafayat Jamil sent the 11th Platoon of Delta Company under Havilder Munir Ahmed to further strengthen the defence at Daruin. The Pakistani FF's advances was effectively stopped on the southern side of Hawra Nodi (a pond) by the platoon of Sepoy Md Mostafa Kamal who had settled on their tranches near this pond. Mostafa Kamal took the rightmost position in the trench.
The following day (17 April) at around 12 p.m. the Pakistani FF immediately launched a quick attack from the West with heavy artillery fire, but Mostafa Kamal's troops weathered their attack and in the process killed 3 Pakistani officers and about 70/75 soldiers.
Pakistanis Frontier Force then repositioned themself and started attacking the troops from Gangasagar Bazar. A fresh battalion was added by the Pakistani Brigade Commander and was ordered to clear Daruin within next two days.
At that time Captain Ainuddin was commanding 4th EBR at Akhaura. Realizing the new threat posed by the Pakistani forces, he went to Daruin and instructed the troops to inflict maximum casualties on to the enemy and withdraw to Akhaura when they could no longer hold them further. Shaheed Sepoy Md Mostafa Kamal had been fighting aggressively along with his comrades and succeeded in temporarily halting enemy advance towards Akhaura. However heavy enemy artillery shelling and huge exchanges of fire left some 8 soldiers killed.
On 18 April 1971, at about 11.00 a.m., the Pakistanis launched a fresh attack with strengthened by the new batallion. Some of the Pakistani FF attacked from the south and another attacked Mostafa's troops and the mukhti bahini from behind (i.e. east). Around 20-40 Bengali soldiers died during this latest attack. The rest of the troops started withdrawing from Daruin as instructed earlier - except Mostafa Kamal.
Mostafa Kamal took the responsibly to cover for his fellow fighters. Most of the fighters retreated to a safer position as Kamal relentlessly kept firing with his Light Machine Gun which he took over after the death of a fellow soldier. He collected 800 rounds of ammunition and utilized these to the fullest and manage to kill 8 Pakistani soldiers, bringing the total number of Pakistani soldiers killed by him and his troops to at least 150.
The Pakistanis progressed slowly due to the continued fire from the machine gun of Sepoy Mostafa Kamal. But at one stage, he got shot. The last two soldiers who had been fighting alongside Sepoy Mostafa started withdrawing and requested Mostafa repeatedly to fall back. But Mostafa refused to leave his trench. He was well aware that the safe extrication of his comrades largely depended on his continued supporting fire.
Pakistanis eventually closed within 50 meters of his trench and encircled him. They asked him to surrender. Mostafa, meanwhile, finished all his ammunition. Even at this point when death was facing him Mostafa showed exemplary courage and decided not to surrender. He utilized the last of his two grenades as the enemy reached within grenade firing distance. He then jumped out of his trench and charged on the enemy with the empty machine gun shouting “JOY BANGLA”. In the process he received heavy volume of fire and embraced shahadat near a palm tree.
Mostafa Kamal's body lies buried in village of Daruin - where he sacrificied his life to save his comrades.
Mostafa Kamal was a true soldier. When his battalion commander asked them for safe withdrawal and inflict maximum casualties to the enemy he then took it as an order to be obeyed at any cost. Mostafa Kamal could fulfill both the orders of battalion commander by ensuring safe withdrawal of his company and killing 150 Pakistani soldiers.
The grateful nation awarded this great son of the soil with the highest gallantry award BIR SRESHTHO for his outstanding courage, comradeship and dedication to the cause of the motherland. He fought for two days and caused the lives of at least 150 Pakistani soldiers.
Courtesy> Heroes of Bangladesh
The following day (17 April) at around 12 p.m. the Pakistani FF immediately launched a quick attack from the West with heavy artillery fire, but Mostafa Kamal's troops weathered their attack and in the process killed 3 Pakistani officers and about 70/75 soldiers.
Pakistanis Frontier Force then repositioned themself and started attacking the troops from Gangasagar Bazar. A fresh battalion was added by the Pakistani Brigade Commander and was ordered to clear Daruin within next two days.
At that time Captain Ainuddin was commanding 4th EBR at Akhaura. Realizing the new threat posed by the Pakistani forces, he went to Daruin and instructed the troops to inflict maximum casualties on to the enemy and withdraw to Akhaura when they could no longer hold them further. Shaheed Sepoy Md Mostafa Kamal had been fighting aggressively along with his comrades and succeeded in temporarily halting enemy advance towards Akhaura. However heavy enemy artillery shelling and huge exchanges of fire left some 8 soldiers killed.
On 18 April 1971, at about 11.00 a.m., the Pakistanis launched a fresh attack with strengthened by the new batallion. Some of the Pakistani FF attacked from the south and another attacked Mostafa's troops and the mukhti bahini from behind (i.e. east). Around 20-40 Bengali soldiers died during this latest attack. The rest of the troops started withdrawing from Daruin as instructed earlier - except Mostafa Kamal.
Mostafa Kamal took the responsibly to cover for his fellow fighters. Most of the fighters retreated to a safer position as Kamal relentlessly kept firing with his Light Machine Gun which he took over after the death of a fellow soldier. He collected 800 rounds of ammunition and utilized these to the fullest and manage to kill 8 Pakistani soldiers, bringing the total number of Pakistani soldiers killed by him and his troops to at least 150.
The Pakistanis progressed slowly due to the continued fire from the machine gun of Sepoy Mostafa Kamal. But at one stage, he got shot. The last two soldiers who had been fighting alongside Sepoy Mostafa started withdrawing and requested Mostafa repeatedly to fall back. But Mostafa refused to leave his trench. He was well aware that the safe extrication of his comrades largely depended on his continued supporting fire.
Pakistanis eventually closed within 50 meters of his trench and encircled him. They asked him to surrender. Mostafa, meanwhile, finished all his ammunition. Even at this point when death was facing him Mostafa showed exemplary courage and decided not to surrender. He utilized the last of his two grenades as the enemy reached within grenade firing distance. He then jumped out of his trench and charged on the enemy with the empty machine gun shouting “JOY BANGLA”. In the process he received heavy volume of fire and embraced shahadat near a palm tree.
Mostafa Kamal's body lies buried in village of Daruin - where he sacrificied his life to save his comrades.
Mostafa Kamal was a true soldier. When his battalion commander asked them for safe withdrawal and inflict maximum casualties to the enemy he then took it as an order to be obeyed at any cost. Mostafa Kamal could fulfill both the orders of battalion commander by ensuring safe withdrawal of his company and killing 150 Pakistani soldiers.
The grateful nation awarded this great son of the soil with the highest gallantry award BIR SRESHTHO for his outstanding courage, comradeship and dedication to the cause of the motherland. He fought for two days and caused the lives of at least 150 Pakistani soldiers.
Courtesy> Heroes of Bangladesh
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