Army pays last tribute to Bir Uttam CR Dutta

Former and existing officers of the army paid homage to Bir Uttam Chitta Ranjan Dutta, widely known as CR Dutta, one of the sector commanders of the Mukti Bahini during the Liberation War.

His body was taken to Banani Old DOHS ground from the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) at around 7 am on Tuesday, Somoy TV reports.

Many of his fellow freedom fighters, former and current army officers paid tribute to CR Dutta's coffin with flowers.

People from the vicinity also came to pay their respects to him.

After that his body was taken to Dhakeshwari Temple. The body will be taken to the capital's Sabujbagh crematorium after paying homage there for the second time.

Earlier on August 20, Dutta fell in the bathroom and broke his leg.

He was admitted to a hospital in Florida, in USA, after his condition deteriorated. He breathed his last there at around 9 am (Bangladesh time) on August 25.

His body was flown to Dhaka on August 31.

Bir Uttam CR Dutta was the founder Director General of the then Bangladesh Rifles, which is now called Border Guard Bangladesh, former Chairman of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Welfare Trust and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation and founder President of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council.

Dutta was born on January 1, 1927, in Shillong, Assam. His ancestral home is in Mirashi village of Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj.

He joined the Pakistan Army in 1951 and a few days later, he was commissioned as 'second lieutenant'.

The then Pakistan government rewarded him for his courageous contribution to the 1965 Indo-Pak war, the first battle of his military life.

In 1971, Colonel MAG Osmani, the commander-in-chief of the liberation war, appointed Dutta as the commander of Sector 4.

He made important contributions after being appointed as Brigade Commander in Rangpur in 1972.

In 1973, the government felt the need to form a border guard force for independent Bangladesh and gave the responsibility to him in this regard.

He later formed a border guard force and it was named Bangladesh Rifles. At present, the name of this force is Border Guard Bangladesh.

He was awarded the title of Bir Uttam for his valiant contribution to the great Liberation War.

The city road from Katabon to Karwan Bazar Signal was named after 'Bir Uttam CR Dutta'.