This air assault enabled Indian forces to cross the Meghna River and encircle Dhaka, decisively shortening the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
Key Facts
- Operation name
- Operation Cactus Lilly (Meghna Heli Bridge)
- Dates
- 9–12 December 1971
- Type
- Air assault river crossing
- Pakistani stronghold bypassed
- Ashuganj / Bhairab Bazar
- Strategic objective
- Encirclement of Dhaka
- Conceived by
- Maj. Gen. Sagat Singh
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Indian forces advancing toward Dhaka during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 faced the broad Meghna River and a fortified Pakistani stronghold at Ashuganj and Bhairab Bazar. A conventional crossing would have been costly and time-consuming, risking a prolonged stalemate and delaying the encirclement of the Pakistani garrison in Dhaka.
Between 9 and 12 December 1971, the Indian Army and Indian Air Force executed Operation Cactus Lilly, airlifting troops by helicopter across the Meghna River. The operation, conceived by Maj. Gen. Sagat Singh, bypassed the Pakistani stronghold entirely, allowing Indian forces to advance rapidly toward Dhaka without direct confrontation at the river crossing.
By successfully crossing the Meghna River from the air, Indian forces completed the encirclement of Dhaka. This maneuver foreclosed any Pakistani avenue of withdrawal or reinforcement and directly precipitated the Pakistani military's surrender on 16 December 1971, ending the war and enabling the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent state.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Maj. Gen. Sagat Singh.
Side B
1 belligerent