Chitta Ranjan Dutta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chitta Ranjan Dutta
Bir Uttam
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| Native name |
চিত্তরঞ্জন দত্ত
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| Born | 1 January 1929 Shillong, Assam, British India |
| Died | 26 August 2020 (aged 91) Boca Raton, Florida, USA |
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| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | Wilde's Rifles(PIF) |
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| Awards |  Bir Uttom |
Chitta Ranjan Dutta Bir Uttom (born January 1, 1929 – died August 26, 2020), also known as C R Dutta, was a brave major-general in the Bangladesh Army. He was a very important leader during the Bangladesh Liberation War. He led a group called the Mukti Bahini.
After Bangladesh became independent, he became the first leader of the Bangladesh Rifles (now called Border Guards Bangladesh) in 1973. General Dutta was also a strong supporter of rights for minority groups in Bangladesh. He was the president of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council.
Early Life and Education
Chitta Ranjan Dutta was born on January 1, 1929. His parents were Upendra Chandra Dutta and Labanyaprabha Dutta. He was born in Shillong, which was part of British India at the time. His father worked as a police officer there.
He started school in Shillong. Later, he moved to Habiganj and finished high school there in 1944. He then studied science at Asutosh College in Kolkata. He later earned his B.Sc. degree from Daulatpur College in Khulna.
Army Career
In 1950, after finishing college, Dutta joined the Pakistan Military Academy. He became a second lieutenant in 1952. He was one of the few Hindu officers in the Pakistan Army during the 1950s.
He held many different roles in the army. He led a rifle platoon and served as an adjutant. He also commanded an infantry company as a major. During the 1965 war between India and Pakistan, Major Dutta was a wing commander.
In 1971, he was on leave at his home in Habiganj. When the Bangladesh Liberation War began, he decided to fight for Bangladesh's freedom. He became a sector commander for Sector 4. This area covered the whole of what is now Sylhet Division.
After the war, in 1972, Dutta was made a brigade commander in Rangpur. In 1973, he helped create the Bangladesh Rifles. He became its first Director General.
Fighting for Rights
After Bangladesh became independent, its first constitution supported ideas like democracy and secularism. However, later governments changed some of these founding ideas.
Because of this, Major General (Retired) Chitta Ranjan Dutta worked with other minority leaders. They started the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council.
Dutta was the president of this organization for a long time. He worked very hard to protect the rights of minority groups. He spoke out for people to get back their properties that had been taken away. He also supported bringing back the original ideas of the 1972 Constitution of Bangladesh.
