Hill Voice, 25 August 2020: Founder President of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Parishad, Sector Commander of Sector 4 during the Liberation War, Founder Director General of Bangladesh Border Guard (now defunct Bangladesh Rifles), former Chairman of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Welfare Trust and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation Maj. Gen. C R Datta Bir Uttam is no more.

At the age of 93, he passed away at a hospital in Florida, USA at 9.30 am today due to various diseases caused by old age. He is survived by two daughters and a son, as well as numerous relatives and admirers. His sons and daughters are all expatriates in America.

Major General C R Datta was born in Shillong, India. There he received his primary education and returned to his home in Habiganj, Bangladesh, where he passed the secondary examination.

Early in college life he joined the Pakistan army. When the Achalong mouza in the Chittagong Hill Tracts was captured by the Indian army in 1965, the Pakistani army recaptured the Achalong mouza under his command as a company commander. He was awarded a military medal for his heroic deeds in the Battle of Achalong.

He joined the liberation war at the beginning of the Liberation War in 1971 and was awarded the title of Bir Uttam by the Government of Bangladesh for his glorious role as Sector Commander of Sector 4. After the independence of the country, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and sent to serve as the Brigade Commander of Rangpur.

In 1973, he organized the Border Guards as the founding Director General of the Bangladesh Border Guard (now defunct Bangladesh Rifles). General Datta served as chairman of the Bangladesh Muktijoddha Welfare Trust and the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation.

After his retirement, he served as the Vice-Chairman of the Sector Commanders Forum and the founding President of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, an human rights organization against religious discrimination.

Attempts are being made to bring his body to Bangladesh as per the last wish of General Datta, said Advocate Dipankar Ghosh, Organizing Secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Parishad on 25 August 2020 Tuesday in a press release.

Former MP Ushatan Talukder and Hubert Gomez, two other Presidents of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Parishad, and Advocate Rana Dasgupta, General Secretary of the Parishad, said in a condolence statement that the country and nation had lost a fearless guardian of the movement for democracy and rule of law. The irreparable damage done to the country and the nation by his death is not easy to make up.

Prayers will be held at the Dhakeswari National Temple in Dhaka and all monasteries, temples, churches and pagodas in the country this evening to seek the healing of General Datta’s departed soul, the Unity Council said in a statement.