Beneath the Orange Rain | R&AW, India
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in their position. This is True Spies. The stakes were extremely high. They knew that this mission is the first step towards a war that was imminent. It was just their sheer willpower that had sustained them for over many months and they were at that moment now when they had to attack. I'm Daisy Ridley and this is True Spies from Spyscape Studios. Beneath the orange rain.

August 1971, deep in the Sundarbans in Bangladesh, at this point still officially East Pakistan, a group of men lie silent under the patchy cover of the mangroves. No one moves a muscle. They were hiding in bushes and right in front of a Pakistani military patrol. And if they were exposed or discovered, then their entire mission would be kaput.

The men exchange tense glances as one of the military patrolmen hops out of a jeep and approaches their cover. Mere feet from their hiding place, he unzips his fly and begins to urinate. Their capture would most certainly lead to death, but that was not what they were scared of. Their capture could jeopardize the entire operation that had been meticulously planned for more than four months. So that was what they were facing at the moment.

The crouching men are armed with Sten submachine guns. And they outnumber the Pakistani patrol. But they're under strict orders to avoid confrontation at all costs. There are bigger objectives at stake. These men are highly trained commandos. They had to be quick and coordinated. And they had only one mission, which was to cut off the water access of West Pakistan into Bangladesh.

This ambitious, covert mission is itself part of a wider plot to expel Pakistani forces from Bangladesh and end a brutal genocide that has, since March, made headlines around the world.

Cutting off the Pakistani Navy's access to Bangladesh, if successful, would deal a crippling blow to their campaign. And now, this particular group of commandos are within spitting distance of their destination: the Chittagong port. But if the patrolman, now finishing his business and idly scanning his surroundings, takes even one step further into the bush, they will surely be exposed.

At the front of the pack, with the lingering patrolman in his sights and a finger on the trigger of his gun, the commando in charge signals his men to hold their nerve. The commander was Abdul Wahid Chaudhary. He was tasked with leading these men into Bangladesh and to effect this mission, which was of great importance. To understand just how important this mission is to Commander Abdul Wahid Chaudhary, we'll need to go back.

back to the first days of the war for liberation that is tearing this land apart. It's time to meet the two people who will guide you through this bloody chapter of South Asian history. Hi, I'm Anusha Randakumar. I'm a writer-director working in the Indian film industry or Bollywood as you know it. And I'm the author of the book, The War That Made Role. This is Sandeep Saket.

I'm also working in the Bombay film industry and I'm co-author of the book with Anusha. In their book, The War That Made Raw, Anusha and Sandeep wade into the murky waters of the Bangladesh Liberation War and uncover the untold role of covert operations in deciding its fate. Of those operations, none was more important than Jackpot.

This was a mission that had been set in place months previously and into which countless hours of meticulous planning had been poured. It was a mission born out of the most volatile of geopolitical situations and the most dangerous of physical conditions. It was a mission entirely specific to the context of Pakistan and its neighboring countries in 1971.

To begin to understand it, you'll need to understand the region. After the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, Pakistan was divided into two parts: East and West. East was present in Bangladesh and West was present in Pakistan, with India's mainland separating them by about 1800 km in the middle. The partition was drawn as such because both regions contained majority Muslim populations.

Grounds enough, at the time, to declare them a geographically disparate but ideologically united single nation: Pakistan. But in the years that followed the partition, a power imbalance between East and West quickly came to the surface.

All of the power was in West Pakistan. And for them, the East was kind of like a step-sibling. They didn't really care about the East so much. Though they were getting a lot of wealth from the East because the land in Bangladesh was very fertile, so agriculture was a very big occupation there. So they would get all of the advantage and the money from the East, but they were completely disregarding it when it came to development.

And despite religious similarities, there were vast cultural differences between the two regions. There was a movement in East Pakistan on the basis of language and there was a lot of discontent that was rising. People were very angry. The 60s especially was the time when this movement was kind of getting a voice of its own. It was called the language movement.

And within this movement emerged a student leader who's known as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. As the leader of a political party called the Awami League, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the first public figure to give voice to a sentiment that had been bubbling up in East Pakistan for years. He wanted to declare a new nation called Bangladesh.

In 1966, Rahman was also instrumental in drafting a six-point program, which is a constitution of sorts, putting forth the demands of the Bangladeshis. Rahman was enormously popular in East Pakistan, where he soon became known by another name, Bangabandhu, or Friend of the Bengalis.

He then went on to lead an uprising in Bangladesh calling for democratic elections for both the Pakistanis. And in 1970, because of this, the first democratic elections were held in Pakistan for both East and West.

In the seat of power in West Pakistan, the Pakistani President Yahya Khan and his close ally Zulvacar Ali Bhutto were confident that a democratic election would quash this pesky call for East Pakistani independence once and for all.

But they critically underestimated the popular appeal of Bangabandhu and his Awami League. Rehman and Awami League emerged victorious. They had like a landslide majority. And he was a leader in waiting, waiting to be crowned. Of course, holding an election was one thing. Honouring its results, something else entirely.

The results were declared in early December 1970, but the formation of government differed continuously from December to January to February to March. So these two Western Pakistani leaders, the president of the time, Yahya Khan, and Bhutto, pretended to negotiate with Rahman to concede some power. While the West Pakistani leaders ostensibly negotiated terms for the transferal of power, behind the scenes, they had something else in mind.

They wanted the power back one way or the other. And for that, they knew they had to silence Rehman. And the only way to do that would be to launch a military operation. That fateful military operation, known as Operation Searchlight, was launched by Yahya Khan on the 25th of March, 1971. A date never to be forgotten by the people of Bangladesh.

Operation Searchlight is known as one of the worst genocides in history. They looted homes, lots and lots of innocent people were murdered, women raped, even children were not spared. It was unbelievable carnage. Later on, reports say that anywhere between 3 to around 30 million people were killed. And they did all of this to capture the one man that they were desperate to get, which was Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

But Raymond wasn't entirely unprepared for the attack.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had an inkling that West Pakistan is planning something horrific and he knew that it probably would be the last time that he could address his people. So he escaped from his home and in secrecy he recorded a message calling for the independent state of Bangladesh and motivating his countrymen to keep up the good fight even if something happened to him. That address read as follows:

This may be my last message. From today, Bangladesh is independent. I call upon the people of Bangladesh, wherever you might be and with whatever you have, to resist the army occupation to the last. Your fight must go on until the last soldier of the Pakistan Occupation Army is expelled from the soil of Bangladesh and final victory is achieved.

On 26 March 1971, as West Pakistani military forces tore their way through East Pakistan, hunting down the leader of the Awami League, Raymond's message was broadcast on radio stations around the world. Which is how one Abdul Wahid Chowdhury, he who you last heard crouching in the mangroves of the Sundarbans, learned of the genocide in his country and the capture of Raymond.

He was, at the time, thousands of miles from home in France.

Chaudhry is aboard PNS Mangro, a Pakistani naval submarine docked in Toulon. And he was part of a 40-member West and East Pakistani crew. And of this 40-member crew, there were around 13 ethnic Bengalis there. And as usual, you know, they tuned in their radios and first they heard a speech by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. And then later on, he heard the news about Operation Searchlight.

So that was where everything changed for him. Since childhood, all Chowdhury had ever wanted was to fight for his country.

He was born in East Pakistan, Bangladesh and he always wanted to be in the armed forces. But his parents were not very willing to let their son go, so he ran away from home and joined the army. And later on he became part of the Navy. So, Abdul Wahid Chaudhary was a telegraphist on the PNS Mangrove in Toulon, France.

He had really worked his way up and he was a young man in his 20s, very passionate about serving his country and extremely brave. But now he found himself part of the same military that was, at that very moment, wreaking carnage on his homeland. Bangabandhu's words pierced to the very core of his being.

I call upon the people of Bangladesh, wherever you might be and with whatever you have, to resist the army occupation to the last.

When Chaudhary and his fellow Bengalis heard Sheikh Mujahid Rahman's call for independence and also about what was about to happen to their country and about the genocide that they heard on the radio, their hearts bled. Chaudhary immediately wanted to go back to home and fight for his fellow countrymen, but he knew that it wouldn't be easy. Chaudhary understood that he would never be granted leave to return to East Pakistan.

If he wanted out, he would have to escape. So after the events of 25th March, Chaudhary was extremely charged up. And he knew that he just wanted to go back and participate in the fight. But he knew that just like him, maybe all of the other ethnic Bengalis on the ship, maybe they felt the same thing.

So he started speaking to each of them personally. Of the 13 people on board, eight decided to join him. And it was decided that they would escape on the 1st of April when the ship would be docked. Over five days, Chaudhry slowly stole the passports of the men. They started packing up their belongings and valuables and started shipping them to friends and family.

And on the 1st of April, they left the ship at different times so as to not draw any suspicion. Hoping to find political asylum in neutral Geneva, the eight Bengalis arranged a rendezvous at Toulon's train station. They took a train to Switzerland, but they didn't have visas, so they were forced to go back to France. By this time, the authorities aboard PNS Mangro had discovered that some of the men were missing.

They immediately informed the French police, who informed the Secret Service, as the men were somewhere on French soil illegally. And so begins a game of cat and mouse. If the French find the Bengali defectors and hand them back to their allies in Pakistan, well, I'm sure you can imagine the consequences.

Chaudhary and his men went to Lyon first and they figured out that they didn't need a visa to enter Spain. So with the French police very close on their trail, these men escaped to Spain and they went to the Indian consulate in Barcelona.

India had, by this point, declared its support for the Bengali independence movement. Chaudhary declared his intentions to join India in the war against Pakistan for Bangladesh. They had an Indian secretary there, Bedi, who helped hide them and kept their identity a secret while he informed the authorities in India. The authorities asked Bedi to help smuggle the men into India. So Bedi arranged for their papers and he put them on a flight to Rome.

The Submariners had now travelled through three European nations, speaking not a word of their respective languages, in their quest to return home. All with the French secret services hot on their heels.

From Rome, they were to take the Air India New York-Delhi flight, which had a stopover in Rome. But when they landed in Rome, they had terrible luck. The flight was delayed due to a strike in Pakistan. And by this time, Pakistani authorities and French authorities had come to know that these men were in Rome. So immediately, there was a change of plans. With the risk of capture greater than ever, it was back to square one.

They were put on a flight to Geneva and they finally reached the Indian embassy in Geneva, which was their original target. From there, they finally made their way back to New Delhi. Imagine the relief. At last, refuge in a nation friendly to the Bengali cause. But this was by no means the end of Chowdhury's journey. For all the turmoil that lay behind them, the true battle was yet to begin.

Hello, True Spies listener. This episode is made possible with the support of June's Journey, a riveting little caper of a game which you can play right now on your phone. Since you're listening to this show, it's safe to assume you love a good mystery, some compelling detective work,

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And I absolutely love all the little period details packed into this world. I don't want to give too much away because the real fun of June's journey is seeing where this adventure will take you. But I've just reached a part of the story that's set in Paris.

And I'm so excited to get back to it. Like I said, if you love a salacious little mystery, then give it a go. Discover your inner detective when you download June's Journey for free today on iOS and Android. Hello, listeners. This is Anne Bogle, author, blogger, and creator of the podcast, What Should I Read Next? Since 2016, I've been helping readers bring more joy and delight into their reading lives. Every week, I tech all things books and reading with a guest and guide them in discovering their next read.

They share three books they love, one book they don't, and what they've been reading lately. And I recommend three titles they may enjoy reading next. Guests have said our conversations are like therapy, troubleshooting issues that have plagued their reading lives for years, and possibly the rest of their lives as well. And of course, recommending books that meet the moment, whether they are looking for deep introspection to spur or encourage a life change, or a frothy page-turner to help them escape the stresses of work, socializing,

school, everything. You'll learn something about yourself as a reader, and you'll definitely walk away confident to choose your next read with a whole list of new books and authors to try. So join us each Tuesday for What Should I Read Next? Subscribe now wherever you're listening to this podcast and visit our website, whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com to find out more. When they reach India, they are met by the Naval Chief Nanda and a member of the Research and Analysis Wing.

The Research and Analysis Wing, otherwise known as R&AW or RAW, was India's central intelligence agency. It had been formed just a few years earlier, in 1968.

It was formed because it would be India's first external intelligence gathering agency. Before the formation of RNEW, India depended on her allies for external intelligence. But India had two failures in the 1962 war with China and the failure to gather intelligence into the 1965 Pakistani excursion. And this showed a gaping hole and the need for a dedicated external intelligence agency.

So in 1968, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decided to create RNAW and Rameshwar Nath Kao was its first leader. It was this very leader, R.N. Kao, who was now grilling the eight Bengali submariners in New Delhi. The men were questioned at length and RNAW had to make sure that Chaudhary and his men were indeed passionate about the Bangladesh cause and that this was not some elaborate ruse. The reason for this grilling?

A suspicion that their story might be too good to be true. Since Operation Searchlight had begun in March, scores of Bengali refugees had been crossing the border into India.

India at that point was still a young, independent nation. India was struggling with its own internal issues, and now they were burdened with the influx of refugees. India's Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, vocally supported the Bengali movement, but she knew she had to tread carefully.

Joining the war was, for the time being, off the table. Taking on Pakistan in March 1971 would mean declaring war and India would be seen as the instigator and the world would end up sympathising with Pakistan and Pakistan would get away with the genocide that they were inflicting. So India knew for her to get involved in this war

India would have to force Pakistan's hand and make them attack India first so that they could retaliate and not be seen as the aggressor. And so Gandhi's official line was that the war was not hers to fight. She would remain neutral. But covertly, they were doing all they could because in some ways India knew that war was imminent. It was not a question of if, it was just a question of when.

So first they gave refuge to the incoming refugees. They also, along with the help of RNAW, were involved in something that is known as the cywar, which is psychological warfare. They were getting in touch with allies of India, countries across the world, letting them know about the genocide and the situation in Bangladesh.

and kind of building an atmosphere which would be suitable and helpful for India if they chose to go to war later on. Cultivating a sympathetic global attitude in the perception of the situation was important, but India's covert activities extended well beyond the psychological. Behind the scenes, the research and analysis wing did everything in their power to thwart Pakistan's effort.

One of their key objectives was to close off the country's access to Indian airspace, thereby rendering the remote regions that made up Pakistan even harder to bridge, and making supply runs or personnel movement from west to east a logistical nightmare.

But two countries during peacetime could not just affect this law. So, KAU and RNAW decided that they needed a way to ban the Pakistani planes over the Indian airspace. And they put together a truly daring mission.

So what had happened was, some months ago, a teenager was caught by the Indian Border Security Force. He claimed that he was coming from Pakistan, he was actually Kashmiri, and he was sent by Pakistan to India to hijack an Indian plane. He was caught and he was presented to RNAW. But instead of punishing him, RNAW and KAU saw an opportunity here.

Rather than punish this would-be hijacker, Khao saw potential for crucial political leverage. So they decided that the hijacker, a mere teenager, would get what he initially had come for. They gave him access to a plane and passengers, and they kind of brainwashed him to think that he is hijacking this plane. So the teenager with his cousin hijacked the plane and forced it to land in Lahore.

The passengers on the plane were also playing along. The plane landed in Lahore and it became a big international news at that time. Because the news spread, Pakistan was forced to act on humanitarian grounds and to secure the freedom of all passengers and crew from the plane and transfer them safely to India. All of those Indian passengers made it home unharmed, of course. There had never been any risk of actual violence.

But India played up this hijack and told the world that it was no longer safe for India to let Pakistan flights cross its airspace. And just like that, Pakistani civilian and military flights were banned over Indian airspace. An ingenious plot, and one that put a painful dent in the Pakistani military effort. And that's to say nothing of Roar's approach on the ground. They also organized the incoming refugees

because the refugees also had a large number of military personnel that had run away from Bangladesh. So India helped train them, organize them and made a potent fighting force of them, which they called the Mukti Baiyini or the Freedom Force. The Mukti Baiyini was a pure guerrilla force designed to obstruct the Pakistani military at every turn.

So the Mukti Bahini, with the help of RNAW, was involved in the covert sabotage of several important Pakistani military installations, roads, railway bridges, telegram and telegraph lines. And they went deep into Bangladesh to carry out these missions because they comprised of Bangladeshi refugees and they knew the territory very well.

Their aim was to weaken the Pakistani effort as much as possible, while Indian forces gathered their strength and prepared for war. Not a simple undertaking, given the region's climate. An Indian subcontinent is very different in its weather conditions. So from June till September, there is a heavy monsoon which happens in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

And especially Bangladesh is situated in a delta of two rivers, so Brahmaputra and Ganges, and almost two-thirds of the country becomes very inundated with two-river waters. And that is a perfect time as an interlude while Indian military prepared for a war. India, with the help of Research and Analysis Wing and military, launched covert guerrilla operations, missions deep in Bangladeshi territories.

And these were guerrilla in their approach because the monsoon and the floods made moving of heavy military equipment impossible in Bangladesh. And these very lean, very agile forces and fighters of Mukti Bahini, they could actually penetrate deep in Bangladesh.

In other words, the Mukti Baini were trained and organized by the research and analysis wing, but peopled by the Bengali refugees who had been streaming into India since Operation Searchlight began. Refugees exactly like Chowdhury and his fellow defectors from the Pakistani Navy.

So, when the Research and Analysis Wing's leader, R.N. Kao, learned of this band's imminent arrival, he knew they could prove vital in the Mukti Baini's efforts, which is why he personally grilled them on their loyalties. And finally, having heard the extent of their troubles in escaping the submarine, he was satisfied. Finally, they were granted political asylum and asked to take part in the meticulously planned naval operation in the Research and Analysis Wing.

The fledgling naval unit of the Mukti Baini was a crucial aspect of their guerrilla effort.

Remember, the research and analysis wing had already succeeded in cutting off Pakistan's air mobility. But Pakistan was still using the waterways to now ferry men and material into Bangladesh. So now it was up to India to kind of also figure a way to cut off water access for West Pakistan to Bangladesh. And that is why they decided to come up with a new strategy.

When the Bengali submariners arrived in New Delhi, it was to this mission that they were assigned.

Actually, after the arrival of Bangladeshi commandos in India, a long period of planning went into planning this mission and RNW through Mukti Vahini collected data about the patterns of the tides of the river and also about the weather condition. A couple of dates were selected when the tides would not be very high and the rains would be moderate as the heavy rains would actually jeopardize the operation. RNW also collected information about naval infrastructure and deployment of the target ports.

The effort to cripple Pakistan's naval access to Bangladesh was dubbed Operation Jackpot.

The mission of the operation was to launch simultaneous attacks in four ports: Chittagong, Mongla, Chandpur and Narayanganj. The aim was to sink as many ships as possible in a short span. This would help create an impression that the waterways in Bangladesh were not safe for ships anymore. And just like how they banned the airspace travel, India would end up cutting off the water access as well.

Operation Jackpot presented immense logistical difficulties. Four simultaneous targeted attacks, deep behind enemy lines. One false move and the entire thing would be thwarted. Suffice to say, it would require unbelievable focus from Chowdhury and his men.

So there were these eight commandos who had reached India from PNS Mangrove. They were then put together with a team that consisted of around 160 people and they underwent specialized training for up to 18 hours a day. So they had a rigorous module that included night swimming, underwater swimming. They had to understand how to do underwater demolitions, especially in the night.

And the main thing was a training on how to use limpet mines. Ah yes, a limpet mine, named for the aquatic snail that tends to cling, for dear life, to the underside of ships. I suspect you can guess this canny device's purpose.

Limpet mines are magnetic naval mines that are used to damage ships below the waterline. So they're hard to handle and swimmers have to carry them on their chest. So not only did they get training in how to use limpet mines, but also how to survive underwater and how to carry these heavy objects. In short, the 160 naval commandos

underwent a grueling regime of training in preparation for this most brazen of operations. When they emerged at the other end of it, they were an elite force. After training for around three to four months, finally the commandos set off on the 27th of July 1971. They didn't know the exact date of the mission. They knew that it could be anywhere between July and August.

In the way of supplies, they needed to keep everything as streamlined as possible. Enough food rations for survival and the essential tools for their attack: fins, knives, Sten guns, limpet mines and crucially, transistor radios.

They were told to guard two things more than even their lives. One was the limpet mines, of course, and the other thing was this radio. And the radio ended up playing a very important part in Operation Jackpot. The success of the operation depended on all four commander units simultaneously attacking the different ports. But how would these commandos know the date and time for the attack? Because they were all, you know, in separate places, not in contact with each other.

So it was decided that they would receive the signal to attack via the radio. Each day, at a predetermined time, the four commando units would tune into the West Bengali branch of All India Radio, listening out for a very specific message. There would be two Bengali songs played for them.

One was a song indicating that they needed to get ready, that means they needed to reach the port for the attack. And the second was known as the action song, which was, that was the time to attack. So the commando leaders carried the radios and guarded them with their life. And those radios played another essential role in Operation Jackpot. Over the course of a treacherous journey, they offered vital morale.

While waiting for the songs to be played, a channel that they listened to quite regularly was the Swadin Bitar Bangla. It was this radio station that Raymond had used as Operation Searchlight closed in on him to declare Bangladesh a free nation. In the genocide that followed, the Swadin Bitar Bangla was shut down, but some of the station's personnel managed to escape to India.

They sought asylum in Kolkata and after receiving a 50 kilowatt transmitter from the Indian government, the artist managed to revive the Swadhir Betar Bangla. During the operation, Jackpot the channel kept the men motivated as they waited for the command. Swadhir Betar Bangla played songs and recitations from the Holy Quran. They also held passionate discussions about the Bangladeshi freedom struggles. And their broadcast was actually pre-recorded radio speeches of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,

Those speeches played a powerful part in keeping the commando units focused on the mission at hand, even under the most trying of circumstances. They have to reach their destination ports via the Sundarban Delta. So they have to go into Bangladesh, traversing India and Sundarban Delta. And the Sundarban Delta is a very marshy and tricky landscape to traverse. They had to make sure that they're traveling only at night. They had to lay low during the day.

And it was not just Pakistani military forces that they had to worry about. The Sundarbans is also heavily infested with crocodiles and tigers. So they had to ward off animals as well. So in a way, these commandos had to save themselves from both men and animals. In fact, they also ended up killing a tiger in Sundarbans.

In the end, the commando units would have to navigate this hostile territory for nearly two weeks before they heard what they'd been waiting for on all India radio. The first song was a signal song, which in Bengali goes, which means, our doll will go to her in-law's house for the first time today. So this meant that they had to proceed to their target and get ready for the attack.

Chowdhury's unit proceed as planned to Chittagong port, but on their way, a hitch in the plan. Just before they're going to attack, they see a Pakistani commander in the bushes relieving himself. And they're very close to getting caught. If he turns, they would be caught. They cannot attack him, they cannot risk anything since they've come this far and it's just a matter of a few hours for their mission.

Think of the journey Chowdhury has taken. From a Pakistani submarine docked in Toulon, across the European continent to India. Through four months of the most intense training, then weeks in the Bengali wilderness warding off tigers and crocodiles. All would be for nothing if this patrolman so much as glances in the wrong direction.

Chaudhary at this time was very sure that if they caught none of them it's peak but actually the material that they carried with them especially the limpet mine would be telling of their plan and if they caught then Pakistan would immediately get to know about their plans of exploding ships in the ports and that would mean that entire Pakistan authorities would put all the ports in high alert

And that would mean not only Chowdhury's plan getting exposed and going kaput, but also all the parallel plans which were to happen at that time, they would also not happen. And also any such future plan would be impossible to mount. But the luck of Bangabandhu is with Chowdhury and his men. The patrolman returns to his jeep, oblivious, and drives away.

The unit proceeds towards the Chittagong port and awaits a second signal from the transistor radio. The second song was, "Ami Tomai Joto Shune Chilam Gaan" which means, "I ask no reward for the songs I sing to you." This song was their action song. It meant that that was the night for the attack.

Much behind-the-scenes planning had determined the best possible opportunity for the success of the mission. The date was chosen after a lot of consultations. They had to make sure that it's raining but not too heavy rains so that it doesn't affect visibility. They had to make sure that the tide conditions were right. And then the date chosen was 16th of August. The time, 2 a.m. The commandos get ready to attack.

Quickly and silently they reached the Chittakong port. Under the cover of darkness, the men slip into the bracing Karnafuli River. There was a strong wind and light drizzle on that day. The commandos had to swim against the strong currents of Karnafuli River.

and they reached their target ships. They were swimming six to seven feet underwater. Then they had to scrape off the dirt of the vessels with a knife, attach the limpet mines on them, on every Pakistani army ship that they could find. Once they have attached the mines, the commando set up rudimentary timers. All the while, their commander's final words to them are ringing in their ears. So just before they get into the water, Chaudhry tells his men again, "Once the timers are attached,

Turn back and run like hell. Don't look back. With the last of the limpet mines attached to the Pakistani ships, the commandos make their break for the shore. They start swimming as fast as they can, and then there's a deafening sound as the mines are detonated. Some of the commandos later on have described it like an orange rain. Behind them, the Chittagong port is lit up like the Fourth of July.

Pure, brilliant carnage. A scene all the more powerful for its simultaneous occurrence at four separate ports across the nation. Each mission had gone off without a hitch. At the Chittagong port itself, 11 ships were destroyed. And on that night, across four ports, 45 ships were destroyed. And around 30,000 tons of arm and ammunition and other military supplies for the Pakistani army were destroyed.

So much destruction, all without a single casualty on either side.

No wonder Operation Jackpot has earned its place in the history books. I think this was a total and absolute success because just some months back they had managed to ban Pakistani flights over India. And just now with the success of Operation Jackpot, they had actually managed to put the four working ports of East Pakistan or Bangladesh out of commission, which was very successful in actually denying Pakistan access to this land.

And this eventually would help India's cause when the war was actually overtly fought. Indeed, when India finally found grounds to enter the conflict on an overt basis, the West Pakistani forces had already been critically weakened. The Indo-Pakistani War began in earnest on the 3rd of December 1971 and lasted just 13 days.

It ended with the absolute surrender of Pakistan and the full liberation of Bangladesh. Raymond, or Bangabandhu, was rescued from his prison in West Pakistan during the chaos and survived to lead the nation that he had dreamed of into its future. And as for Chowdhury and his brave men,

So after the success of Operation Jackpot, Chaudhary and his men, they continued to participate in many covert operations in Bangladesh's freedom struggle and returned home once the war was over and Bangladesh was a free nation. He's widely regarded as one of the heroes of Bangladeshi liberation war. And rightly so, begun deep below the seas of a French port town and ended thousands of miles away in a river beneath Orange Rain,

The odyssey of Commodore Abdul-Wire Chowdhury was over. I'm Daisy Ridley. Join us next time for another secret rendezvous with true spies.