The rarely mentioned atrocities committed by occupying Pakistan navy in 1971 Bangladesh were no less than their murderous army and air force brethren. In support of Pakistan army and Pakistan air force, Pakistan navy converted itself into an effective killing machine. A few conscience-stricken navy officers could not prevent Pak navy’s suicidal strategy. Acted mainly in the Chittagong, Khulna and coastal regions — Pak navy destroyed hundreds of villages along the river banks by heavy bombing, sank thousands of (passenger and cargo carrying) boats/vessels and machine-gunned the survivors in the in water. Thousands of innocent Bengali civilian and Bengali sailors were massacred and thousands of people still have horrifying memory of the sadistic crime of Pak navy. (Bangladesh Liberation War Ministry should form a team with adequate money, experts and resources to collect all the evidences of Pakistan navy’s war crime in Bangladesh).
   During the first part of Liberation War, the Indian and Bangladeshi military authorities raised a Bangladesh naval commando group (often confused with Bangladesh navy which was formed later in November 1971 and did some conventional naval operations). The naval commandos attacked all the seaports and important river ports in Bangladesh causing huge destruction of water transport system, morale of Pakistani troops and the myth of ‘normalcy in East Pakistan’.
   Despite the threat of US 7th fleet, under Admiral Nanda’s (1915-2009) pragmatic command, Indian navy effectively broke Pakistani war machine by total blockade of the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian sea and by the destruction of Pakistan navy’s headquarter and other naval installations in Karachi. Pakistan navy submarine Ghazi was sunk in the Bay of Bengal. Fire at the oil reservoirs in Karachi lasted for seven days — burnt up Pakistan’s fuel reserve and helped air force to identify targets at night. He attended Pakistan army’s historic surrender ceremony in Dhaka wearing white uniform. Admiral Nanda wrote about these operations in his autobiography — ‘The man who bombed Karachi’ (2004). Ironically, Nanda — a Punjabi — was born, educated and started his Royal Indian Navy career in Karachi.
   I heard from my relatives and friends that the massive ‘Karachi Bonfire’ boosted the morale and brought some peace upon the terrified and fearful (for themselves and their relatives in Bangladesh) Bengalis of Karachi.
   May his soul rest in peace.
   M Emad
   Oxford, UK

I recently read an article on how loudspeakers are being confiscated from mosques in Saudi Arabia, this is because when more than one mosque is blaring the azaan, it becomes warped and nobody can understand anything, there should be one clear azaan in one area and we should not hear another one starting every 30 seconds later making all sound awful. This is an insult to Islam and the words of the Quran.
   We have the same problem in Dhaka, azaan is a warbled mess for half an hour and five times a day, the very powerful speakers are trying to drown each other out and it is completely unacceptable. I urge the government to take action just like the Saudis have in the holiest land for Muslims. Azaan was supposed to be read by a man standing in a minaret, not by a blaring speaker mixed with other blaring speakers. The 5 am azaan on the super powerful speakers wakes up our babies and make our lives miserable. In most Muslim countries, the fazr azaan is not done with loudspeakers even if the others are. Is anybody out there listening to our pleas for some change?
   Talib
   Dhaka