The home team had to graft for their win, waiting until the 70th minute for Japanese striker Ryuji Sueoka, once of Albirex Niigata, Geylang United, Balestier Khalsa and Bangkok United) to settle the tie on the night.
It's the narrowest of margins for East Bengal to take to Padang next week and you can't help feeling coach Jafri Sastrak would have taken this result before the game.
In other ties New Radiant from the Maldives were thrashed 7-2 in Male by a Kuwait team while Kitchee lost 2-1 at home to a team from Jordan.
Second legs next week.