On November 8, the High Commission of India hosted a book launching ceremony wherein the Bangla version of Operation X (HarperCollins Publishers India, 2019) was unveiled.

Co-authored by Captain MNR Samant and Sandeep Unnithan, the book uncovers after 48 years the story of naval commando operations, jointly undertaken by the Indian Navy and the Mukti Bahini during the Liberation War.

The book reveals how the operation was conceptualized by the then Chief of Indian Navy, Admiral SM Nanda, and Captain (later Vice Admiral) Mihir K Roy and was executed by Captain MNR Samant. Over 450 naval commandos were trained before the whole operation took place; they infiltrated East Pakistan to disrupt the Pakistani military and logistics lines of supply by destroying their water craft, jetties, and marine infrastructure so that Pakistani forces could not resupply themselves. This led to their swift capitulation on the 13th day of war.

The book also talks about the raid on Mongla port by Padma and Polash, the two gunboats that were provided by the Indian Navy with a variation of Indian and Bangladeshi crew members.

It has been stipulated that, in sheer scale, this task had been the largest cover operation undertaken anywhere in the world after World War II. The Naval Commando Operation X or NCO(X) was part of 'Operation Jackpot', which entailed covert training and equipping of the Mukti Bahini. Overall, between August and November 1971, the commandos sank and/or disabled 100,000 tons of enemy shipping and had completely blocked the ports of East Pakistan.

The accounts recounted in the book have been recorded from the personal notes of Capt. MNR Samant and first-hand experiences of the Indian naval personnel as well as the Muktijoddhas who had been a part of this operation.

The book launch event was graced by chief guest, H E AKM Mozammel Haq, Minister of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, and special guest H E Swapan Bhattacharjee, State Minister, alongside Indian and Bangladeshi veterans who were part of the heroic operations. Co-author of the book, noted writer and journalist Sandeep Unnithan, was also a part of this event.

Operation X has been republished in Bangla, in a readable and excitingly paced language to reach a wider audience in Bangladesh and abroad.