The significance of Rabindranath Tagore's iconic song in the birth of the 56,977-square-mile nation named Bangladesh—a glorious story of red and green—is profound. Operation Jackpot stands out not only in the annals of Bangladesh’s Liberation War but also as one of the most remarkable naval operations in world history. Under the direct instructions of General M. A. G. Osmani, the Commander-in-Chief of the Mukti Bahini, the naval commando sector was established. In March 1971, thirteen Bengali submariners serving in the Pakistan Navy were undergoing training on the PNS Mangro in Toulon, France. Following the brutal crackdowns on March 25, thirteen submariners—led by Submariner Abdul Wahed Chowdhury—decided to join the Liberation War. When their plan was leaked, they killed a Pakistani intelligence officer and escaped by train through Spain, Rome, and Switzerland. On April 9, eight Bengali submariners, including Abdul Wahed Chowdhury, reached Delhi. It was there that they met M. A. G. Osmani, leading to the formation of the naval commando sector: Sector-10. Through the efforts of Colonel M. A. G. Osmani and the Bangladesh Government in exile, secret training camps were set up to select Bengali youths from various border camps and train them into naval commandos. The historic fields of Plassey—where Bengal’s sun of independence had once set—and the Bhagirathi River were chosen as the final training grounds for Operation Jackpot to mentally fortify the trainees. Commander N. N. Samanta, an Indian Naval Officer, was at the forefront of managing this clandestine naval commando training camp. He was the mastermind behind drafting the operational plan for Operation Jackpot. He was the sole officer authorized to submit reports on the naval commandos directly to General Aurora and General Osmani. Commander Kapil and Lieutenant Das served as in-charges of the Plassey training camp, which was codenamed "C-2 P." Starting in the first week of May, 300 physically fit young freedom fighters who knew how to swim were selected from various border camps across the country. Before training commenced, the recruits were explicitly warned that this was a suicide mission; they might have to sacrifice their lives at any cost to ensure success. Every trainee was required to sign a consent form accompanied by their photograph, which read: “I am undergoing this training fully consenting to sacrifice my life for the freedom of my country, and if I die in battle, no one shall be held responsible.” Since the eight submariners who escaped from France were not trained naval commandos, they too had to undergo this rigorous training. A total of 20 Indian instructors were tasked with this secret training regimen. Secrecy was maintained so strictly that even Sector Commanders were kept in the dark. Local residents were barred from approaching the training site, and the instructors themselves were completely cut off from contacting their families. Training was conducted both on land and in water. Land training included grenade throwing, explosive handling, operating sten guns and revolvers, and unarmed hand-to-hand combat. Water training involved swimming backstroke and underwater swimming with 5–6 kg stones strapped to their chests, as well as tread-water swimming with only their noses above the surface. Trainees were taught rapid underwater maneuvering, attaching limpet mines, and fighting strong river currents—all conducted in the turbulent waters of the Bhagirathi River. They were conditioned to stay submerged continuously for 48 hours in both winter and monsoon seasons, enduring 16 to 17 hours of strenuous training daily. After nearly three months of intense preparation, Bangladesh’s first naval commando force was fully ready for action. Trainees were assigned to operations in their home districts or regions so they could easily rely on local support and navigate local routes using their familiarity with regional dialects. Based on their performance across various evaluation stages, the commandos were categorized into eight grades (A through H). Only commandos graded 'A' were entrusted with the critical duty of attaching limpet mines to Pakistani ships. According to the master plan, the attack was scheduled for midnight on August 15 or the early hours of August 16, immediately following Pakistan’s Independence Day. Final attack plans were restructured throughout August. Operations across four sectors were coordinated simultaneously to strike two major seaports and two river ports. The first trained batch was divided into four attack groups: two 60-member teams and two 20-member teams. Team leaders were briefed on a secret execution protocol, which was kept confidential even from the rest of their team members. Under the leadership of Submariner Abdul Wahed Chowdhury, 60 naval commandos were deployed to Chittagong Port. Led by Aminur Rahman Khosru, 260 commandos (comprising 60 naval commandos and 200 C-and-C commandos) were assigned to Mongla Port. Submariner Badiul Alam led 20 commandos to Chandpur River Port, while Submariner Abdur Rahman led another 20 commandos to Narayanganj River Port. Two songs were selected to broadcast the signals for the operation via All India Radio (Akashvani Kolkata) during their special eastern region broadcasts (from 6:00 to 6:30 AM or 10:30 to 11:00 PM). The frequency and code meanings of these two songs were known only to the team commanders. The first signal was the Rabindra Sangeet sung by Pankaj Mullick: “Ami Tomay Joto Shuniyechilem Gan” (As Many Songs As I Have Sung to You). This signaled all teams to complete all preparations and await the second song. The second signal was the song by Sandhya Mukhopadhyay: “Amar Putul Aajke Prothom Jabe Shoshurbari” (My Doll Is Going to Her In-laws' House for the First Time). This second signal was the direct order to strike exactly 24 hours later, allowing each team leader to set their respective 'Zero Hour.' In the early hours of August 16, 1971, the world watched in awe as Bengali fighters displayed unparalleled heroism. World-renowned military strategists were left speechless. How was such a flawless and successful operation possible without losing a single naval commando? Even the Indian naval commandos who trained them were astonished to witness these freedom-crazed youths risking everything. How was it achieved? Wearing simple swimming fins, without oxygen masks, carrying 6-kg limpet mines strapped to their chests, they dived 4–5 feet deep into roaring river currents, scraped off sea algae with commando knives, planted limpet mines, and returned safely! During the early hours of August 16, Operation Jackpot destroyed 26 Pakistani ships totaling nearly 50,800 tons across Chittagong, Mongla, Chandpur, and Narayanganj ports. Numerous other vessels were destroyed or rendered inoperable, damaging Pakistani shipping capacity by another 66,040 tons. In truth, Operation Jackpot delivered a fatal blow to the Pakistani occupation forces while demonstrating the immense bravery of Bangladesh's naval fighters. I believe those valiant heroes still listen to those two songs in solitude today and draw inspiration from them. As many songs as I have sung to you, I ask for no reward in return... Indeed, the finest sons of this soil fought without expecting any reward in return. It was solely their unconditional love for the motherland that rendered such a precise and historic commando operation possible. Deep respect, devotion, and heartfelt love to all the heroes and brave souls. Author: Shuvro Manik , Cultural Activist and Political Analyst