Operation Jackpot Veterans Honoured in Dhaka
Operation Jackpot naval commandos and freedom fighters received special honours at the Russian Cultural Centre in Dhaka. The tribute event also remembered Soviet serviceman Yuri Redkin, who died clearing mines in Chittagong port.
On August 16, 2023, the Russian Cultural Centre in Dhaka hosted a special reception and tribute event dedicated to the valiant naval commandos of Operation Jackpot and freedom fighters of Bangladesh's Liberation War. The gathering brought together numerous dignitaries and veterans, including Ishrak, Tanvir Mokammel, Mokbul Hossain, Monira Rownak Bubli, Mahbub Zaman, A W Chowdhury, Abiur Rahman, Syed Ahmed Majumdar, Chowdhury Mahbubur Rahman, Abdul Gafur, and Momin Ullah Patwary, alongside Russian representatives Alexander Gregorovich Khozin and Alexandria Klevnoy.
Alexander Gregorovich Khozin, the Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh, extended special honours to the heroic naval commandos and maritime fighters of Operation Jackpot during the Sunday night commemoration. The event was organised by the Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust, Smriti Ekattor, the Russian House in Dhaka, and 1971OurPRIDE to remember the pivotal naval operations that took place during the 1971 Liberation War.
A poignant moment of the evening was dedicated to paying tribute to Yuri Redkin, a Soviet military serviceman who lost his life while engaged in the dangerous operation to clear sunken ships and mines from the port of Chittagong following the country's independence. His sacrifice remains a significant part of the shared history between the two nations during the post-war reconstruction period.
Historical context shared during the Dhaka gathering recalled the meticulous planning and execution of the historic sabotage operations. On the night of August 15, 1971, the broadcast of the song "Amar Putul Ajke Jabe Shawshurbari" over Akashvani radio served as the covert signal to initiate the coordinated Operation Jackpot attacks.
Following this radio signal, ferocious and synchronized commando raids were launched simultaneously across strategic waterways on August 15 and 16. The naval operations targeted Pakistani occupying forces in Chittagong, Mongla, Chandpur, and Narayanganj, delivering a crippling blow to enemy supply lines and bolstering the momentum of the Bangladeshi freedom struggle.
