A B M Mohiuddin Chowdhury
Former Mayor of Chittagong |
Politics |
Full Name: A B M Mohiuddin Chowdhury
Affiliation: Bangladesh Awami League
Current Position: Deceased
Date of Birth: December 01, 1944
Date of Death: December 15, 2017
Place of Birth: Bangladesh
Home District: Chittagong
Nationality: Bangladeshi
Profile:
A B M Mohiuddin Chowdhury (1 December 1944 – 15 December 2017) was a Bangladesh Awami League politician. He was the mayor of Chittagong City Corporation, the second-largest city in Bangladesh, for three consecutive terms.
Chowdhury passed SSC in 1962, HSC in 1965 and and graduated in 1967. Department of Islamic History and Culture of Chittagong University and later admitted to Law College, but could not complete his studies as he got involved in the student movement. He started post graduate course at the University of Chittagong with a major in Islamic History and Culture. He dropped out before completing his master's degree. Later admitted to the law college but could not complete his studies because he got involved in the student movement.
Chowdhury was the general secretary of the Chittagong city unit of Chhatra League. He was leader of Sorbodolio Chhatra Sangram Parishad and organised a strike in Chittagong on 1 March 1971. After the 7 March 1971 speech by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Chowdhury and other student activists looted firearms from the Rifles Club and an arms depot in Majhirghat. He was arrested by the Pakistan Army soon but was released after he pretended to be insane in prison. He moved to India to train for the Mukti Bahini and was appointed a commander in the East Mount Battalion after his training. After the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he formed a Mujib Bahini unit to resist the Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad government. He was arrested by the government, he fled to India on being released.
Chowdhury was elected Mayor of Chittagong in 1994. He was the first elected Mayor of Chittagong city. He beat the Mir Mohammed Nasiruddin, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate and previous mayor who was appointed to his post, to win the election by 16 thousand votes. He won his second election in 2000 easily after the election was boycotted by Bangladesh Nationalist Party. In 2005 the Bangladesh Nationalist Party government gave its full support to Mir Mohammed Nasiruddin. Prime Minister Khaleda Zia campaigned for Nasiruddin. Tarique Zia lived and campaigned in Chittagong for a week. Chowdhury still was able to secure an election win. He became the President of Chittagong city Awami League in 2006. He was elected mayor three times. He served 17 years until his electoral defeat by Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate M Manjurul Alam in 2010.
During Chowdhury's term he established five maternity clinics. The hospital has specialized neonatal care and advanced gynaecological surgery facilities. The hospital is overseen by two consultant gynaecologists and a team of doctors.
Chowdhury was the first mayor in Bangladesh to establish a private university – Premier University, Chittagong, which was hosted at the premises of Chittagong City Corporation. After he took office, the corporation established nine post-secondary colleges, computer-training centres, a midwife training centre, a healthcare-technology training centre (the first in Bangladesh to train in the operation of health care technology including radiology and radiography) and eight night colleges to expand adult literacy. The Chittagong city authority also manages eight Hindu religious education centers (known as Sanskrit Toll) to provide religious education in Sanskrit to minority students.
Chowdhury died on 15 December 2017. He was buried in his family graveyard at Chashma Hill with an honor guard performed by Bangladesh Police.
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