Bir Uttam Chitta Ranjan Dutta dies

Major General (Retd) Chitta Ranjan Dutta also known as CR Dutta, a sector commander in the Bangladesh Liberation War died today.

He died at a Florida hospital in the United States at around 9:30am (local time) on Tuesday. His son Dr Chiranjeev Dutta Raja confirmed the matter.

Chitta Ranjan Dutta was a founder president of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Parishad. He was 93 years old at the time of his death and left behind three daughters and one son.

President Abdul Hamid has expressed deep grief and sorrow over his death. He also expressed his condolences to the bereaved family members.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed profound shock at CR Dutta's death.

CR Dutta was born on January 1 1926 in Shillong, Assam and his ancestral home is in erstwhile Sylhet, presently in Chunarughat Upazila of Habiganj District in Sylhet.

He was a key sector commander of the Mukti Bahini during the Bangladesh Liberation War.

After independence, he served as the armed forces commander in Rangpur and later went on to become the first Director-General of the Bangladesh Rifles (present-day Border Guards Bangladesh, BGB) in 1973.

He studied up to second class in Laban Government High School, Shillong. His father was a police officer posted in Shillong, the then capital of Assam in British India. CR Dutta started his schooling in Laban Government High School in Shillong later, his father retired from the job and moved to Habiganj.

In 1947, Dutta joined the Pakistan Army from the last unified batch of the Indian Military Academy. A few days later he got commission in the post of "Second Lieutenant."

During the war of liberation, he was in charge of Sector 4. He was awarded "Bir Uttam" for his special contribution in the war of liberation.