The Pakistani army were retreating everywhere across the country. Where they were not in a favourable position of retreating, were surrendering to the Mitrabahini. Pakistani forces in different districts adjacent forces in different districts adjacent to Dhaka were trying to retreat to the capital.
General Niazi, commander of the Pakistan Army in the then East Pakistan, sensing imminent defeat, proposed for ceasefire to the allied force on 15 December. But rejecting Niazi’s ceasefire proposal, the allied force told the Pakistani Army to surrender.
Allied force declared to stop air attacks on Dhaka from 5am. They also declared that if the Pakistan army does not surrender within 9am on December 16 then the air strike will be resumed. As the Pakistani army was retreating towards Dhaka, the allied force of freedom fighters and the Indian military were also advancing toward Dhaka.
In the afternoon on 15 December 1971, the allied force entered Savar near Dhaka. Pakistan troops retreated but ambushed them at the entrance of Dhaka on Mirpur Bridge. The allied force advance towards Dhaka from Savar in the night. Kaderia Bahini, led by Bangabir Kader Siddiqi, joined them on the way.
They confronted the Pakistan troops at the Mirpur Bridge. The allied force conduct a commando style attack in the first phase. Pakistan troops keep firing from the other side of the bridge. Another group of the allied force attack them from the west bank. A fierce fight took place all day long.
At last the Pakistani army was defeated. Many were killed, a lot of them were captured, and the rest retreated. The allied force attacked on Kamarkhali Pakistan army base in Faridpur region. The Pakistani military started to retreat towards town.
The allied force chased them, and eventually the Pakistani army surrendered. Some 1700 Pakistani personnel in Brigade headquarters in Bogura surrendered to the allied force within the afternoon of 15 December. The allied force recovered huge amount of arms and ammunition from there. On this day, the allied force advanced towards Rangpur.
They cordoned the town and schedule to attack the Rangpur cantonment the next day. But the frightened Pakistan troops surrendered before they were attacked. Indian fighter jets were seen in the sky of Dhaka. Governor Malik with his cabinet and military advisors were busy in a meeting in the Governor House. The jets dropped bombs on it. The governor ran for life into a trench and took shelter there.
Field Marshal Sam Hormizd Jamshid Fram Manekshaw, widely known as Sam Manekshaw and Sam Bahadur, the Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army during the War of Liberation, said, “This is the last time; any more attempt of resistance will be meaningless. Dhaka garrison is absolutely under our artillery range.”