A. B. M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury

2022-08-13T09:27:51Z

27.147.188.207:

{{Short description|Bangladeshi politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable#Bangladesh|The Honorable]]
| name = A. B. M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury
| native_name = এ বি এম মহিউদ্দিন চৌধুরী
| native_name_lang = bn
| image = A. B. M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury.jpg
| primeminister =
| caption = Chowdhury in 2017
| office = 3rd [[Mayor of Chittagong]]
| order =
| alma_mater = {{ubl|[[University of Chittagong]]| [[Government City College, Chittagong|Chittagong City College]]|[[Chittagong Polytechnic Institute]]}}
| spouse = Hasina Mohiuddin
| children = {{Hlist | [[Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury|Mohibul]] | Borhanul }}
| nationality = Bangladeshi
| birth_date = {{birth date|1944|12|01|df=y}}
| birth_place = Gohira, [[Raozan Upazila]], [[Chittagong]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]], (now [[Bangladesh]])
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2017|12|15|1944|12|01|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Chittagong]] , [[Bangladesh]]
| predecessor = [[Mir Mohammed Nasiruddin]]
| termstart = 11 March 1994
| termend = 1 February 2010
| successor = [[Mohammad Manjur Alam]]
|relatives = [[List of political families#Bangladesh|The Chowdhury Dynasty]]
}}

'''A. B. M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury''' (1 December 1944 – 15 December 2017)<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/167938/Ex-mayor-of-Ctg-Mohiuddin-Chowdhury-dies|title=Ex-mayor of Ctg Mohiuddin Chowdhury dies|work=Prothom Alo|access-date=2017-12-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215080352/http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/167938/Ex-mayor-of-Ctg-Mohiuddin-Chowdhury-dies|archive-date=2017-12-15|url-status=dead}}</ref> was a [[Bangladesh Awami League]] politician. He was the mayor of [[Chittagong]], the second-largest city in Bangladesh,<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2005/05/02/news.htm|title=It's Mohiuddin Again |newspaper=The Daily Star|date=2005-05-13|access-date=2017-12-15}}</ref> for three consecutive terms.<ref>{{cite news |title=Opposition win in Chittagong poll |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4532953.stm |work=BBC News}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Chowdhury was born on 1 December 1944 in Gohira village, [[Raozan Upazila|Raozan upazila]], [[Chittagong District]], [[East Bengal]], [[British Raj]]. His father was Hosen Ahmed Chowdhury, a railway officer, and his mother was Bedowra Begum. After completing his SSC he joined [[Chittagong City College]] in 1962. He transferred the same year to [[Chittagong Polytechnic Institute]]. He was expelled from the institute for his involvement in student politics. He returned to Chittagong City College in 1965 and graduated in 1967. 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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/tears-ctg-bids-farewell-mohiuddin-1505623|title=In tears, Ctg bids farewell to Mohiuddin|date=2017-12-16|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2017-12-16|language=en}}</ref>

==Career==
Chowdhury was the general secretary of the Chittagong city unit of [[Bangladesh Chhatra League|Chhatra League]]. He was leader of Sorbodolio Chhatra Sangram Parishad and organised a strike in Chittagong on 1 March 1971. After the [[7 March Speech of Bangabandhu|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.<ref name=":0" />

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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-141230|title=Let Chittagong be Chittagong|date=2010-06-04|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2017-12-16|language=en}}</ref> He became the President of Chittagong city Awami League in 2006.<ref name=":0" /> He was elected mayor three times.<ref>{{cite news |title=Emphatic win for Mohiuddin |url=http://thedailystar.net/2005/05/11/d5051101011.htm |newspaper=The Daily Star}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=CCC polls: Reflections on Mohiuddin's landslide victory |url=http://thedailystar.net/2005/05/11/d50511020429.htm |newspaper=The Daily Star}}</ref> He served 17 years until his electoral defeat by [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]] candidate M Manjurul Alam in 2010.<ref name=":0" />

===Development work===
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccc.org.bd/services/health_care.html |title=Health Care |website=Chiittagong City Corporation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709123647/http://www.ccc.org.bd/services/health_care.html |archive-date=2009-07-09 }}</ref>

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 postsecondary 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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccc.org.bd/department/education.html#college|title=Educational Institutions Managed by City Corporation: College|website=Chiittagong City Corporation|access-date=2009-05-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081021042121/http://www.ccc.org.bd/department/education.html#college|archive-date=2008-10-21|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Chittagong city authority also manages eight Hindu religious education centers (known as Sanskrit Toll) to provide religious education in [[Sanskrit]] to minority students.

===Arrest in 2007 ===
After the army-backed government assumed power in Bangladesh in January 2007, Mohiuddin and other politicians in the country were arrested in an overnight raid on 7 March. He was incarcerated (mostly incommunicado) in various prisons in the country. When first arrested, unlike other arrested leaders he was taken to a remote jail in [[Bandarban]] (a district of [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]]).<ref>{{cite news |date=15 May 2007 |title=Detained Ctg mayor taken to hospital |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/05/15/d70515011811.htm |newspaper=The Daily Star |access-date=2011-03-04}}</ref>

Whilst in prison, Chowdhury's daughter was diagnosed with blood cancer in Thailand. He was detained without trial for 21 months, the government did not release him from prison to see his dying daughter. He was finally released from prison on 8 October 2008 following a High Court order.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.voanews.com/bangla/archive/2008-10/2008-10-08-voa10.cfm?moddate=2008-10-08|title=Mayor of Chittagong Released on Bail|work=VOA}}</ref> Despite his release, the army-backed government retained his passport and did not allow him to fly to Thailand in time to see his daughter. On 17 October, when the government finally permitted him to fly abroad and just minutes before he boarded the aircraft en route to Bangkok, Chowdhury's daughter died.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/10/18/all0253.htm|title=Mayor Mohiuddin's daughter dies in Bangkok|work=The New Nation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804054739/http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/10/18/all0253.htm |archive-date=4 August 2022}}</ref>

== Death ==
Chowdhury died at 3:00 am on 15 December 2017. He was buried in his family graveyard at Chashma Hill with an honor guard performed by [[Bangladesh Police]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/politics/former-mayor-mohiuddin-chy-passes-away-1505368|title=Ctg’s iconic figure Mohiuddin laid to rest|date=2017-12-15|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2017-12-16|language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{commons category|A. B. M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury}}
{{reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowdhury, A. B. M. Mohiuddin}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Chittagong]]
[[Category:Awami League politicians]]
[[Category:Mukti Bahini personnel]]
[[Category:Mayors of Chattogram City Corporation]]

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A. B. M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury