Staff Reporter: Major General (Retd.) Chitta Ranjan Dutta (CR Dutta), the founding president of Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Parishad and the commander of Sector 4 during the war of liberation, is no more. He died at a Florida hospital in the United States on Tuesday (August 25th) at around 9:30 am.
Chitta Ranjan Dutta was born on 1 January 1926 in Shillong, Assam. His ancestral home is in Mirashi village of Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj. His father’s name is Upendra Chandra Dutta and mother’s name is Lavanya Prabha Dutta. He studied up to second class in Laban Government High School in Shillong Later, my father retired from his job and came to Habiganj and started living there He passed secondary from Habiganj Government High School in 1944. Later, he got admission in the science branch of Ashutosh College in Calcutta and started living in a dormitory Later he was admitted in the science branch of Daulatpur College in Khulna Later he passed B.Sc. from this college
Chitta Ranjan Dutta joined the Pakistan Army in 1951 A few days later he got commission in the post of ‘Second Lieutenant’. In 1975, he fought the first battle in his military life He fought for Pakistan in the 1965 Indo-Pak war as the commander of a company in Asalong. The government of Pakistan rewarded him for his heroic contribution in this war After the formation of the Mujibnagar government on 10 April, Tajuddin Ahmed was nominated as the Prime Minister and MAG Osmani was given the charge of the Commander-in-Chief of the Liberation War.
He divided Bangladesh into 11 sectors With the exception of the eastern part of Sylhet district and the Khowai Shaistaganj railway line, Sector 4 was formed on the east and north side up to Sylhet Dauki Road and Chitta Ranjan Dutta was appointed the commander of this sector. After taking charge as the Sector Commander, he first set up camp at Rashidpur in Sylhet Tea gardens spread over a wide area He used the cover of the tea garden to determine the strategy of war Later he left Rashidpur and set up camp at Moulvibazar to facilitate the war Chitta Ranjan Dutta was appointed Brigade Commander in Rangpur in 1972. There he made important contributions In 1973, the government felt the need to form a border guard for independent Bangladesh The government of Bangladesh gave the responsibility to Chitta Ranjan Dutta in this regard He later formed a border guard and named it Bangladesh Rifles. At present the name of this force is Border Guard Bangladesh. Chitta Ranjan Dutta was the first Director General of Bangladesh Rifles. Besides, he had to perform various duties from 1971 to 1984 From 1984 to 1986, he served as Headquarters Chief of Logistics In 1986, he became the chairman of the Muktijoddha Welfare Trust After a brief stint as chairman of the BRTC in 1989, he was re-appointed chairman of the Muktijoddha Welfare Trust in 1982. He retired in 1984.
BP/SM
