The dead body of Bangladesh war hero Chitta Ranjan Dutta, Bir Uttam, widely known as CR Dutta, who died in a US hospital at the age of 93, has arrived in the country.
An Emirates SkyCargo flight with Dutta’s coffin landed at 8.45am on Monday at Hazrat Shahjala International Airport.
Dutta passed away on August 25 in Florida. He had been living in New York with his children for the past decade after losing his wife. Late last year, he moved to his daughter’s home in Florida. He fell at the home and was taken to Bethesda Hospital (South) for a leg surgery.
Dutta, a sector commander of the 1971 Liberation War, was born in India’s Assam on Jan 1, 1927. His father was a police officer in the state. Later, his family permanently moved to Habiganj in Bangladesh. Dutta completed his secondary education from Habiganj Government High School and received his BSc degree from Daulatpur College in Khulna.
He joined the Pakistan Army in 1951 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant within a few days. He fought for Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 as the commander of a company in Asalong. The Pakistani government subsequently rewarded him for his heroic contributions.
He was awarded with the title of ‘Bir Uttam’ after independence.
In 1973, Dutta was given the responsibility of forming a border security force for an independent Bangladesh.
He came up with the name for Bangladesh Rifles, now known as Border Guard Bangladesh. He was appointed as the first director-general of Bangladesh Rifles.❐
