Bot at 03:40, 29 July 2022

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{{Short description|Bangladeshi resistance fighter (1936–2020)}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
|name = Abu Osman Chowdhury
|native_name = আবু ওসমান চৌধুরী
|native_name_lang = bn
|birth_date= {{birth date|1936|01|01|df=y}}
|birth_place=[[Chandpur District|Chandpur]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
|death_date = {{death date and age|2020|09|05|1936|01|01|df=y}}
|death_place = [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh
| placeofburial = [[Banani graveyard|Banani Army Graveyard]]
|branch = {{ubl|{{army|Pakistan}}|{{army|Bangladesh}}}}
|serviceyears = {{ubl|(1958–1971) Pakistan|(1971–1976) Bangladesh}}
|rank = [[Lieutenant Colonel]]
|commands = [[Bangladesh Forces|BDF]] Sector 8 Commander
}}

'''Abu Osman Chowdhury''' (1 January 1936 – 5 September 2020) was a Bangladeshi [[war hero]] and [[freedom fighter]]. During the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]], he served as the commander of [[List of sectors in the Bangladesh Liberation War#List of sectors and subsectors|Sector 8]] of the [[Bangladesh Forces]] that covered the present-day Kushtia, Jashore, Khulna, Barishal, Faridpur and Patuakhali regions.<ref name=warhero/>

==Background==
Chowdhury was born on 1 January 1936 in Madnergaon village in present-day [[Faridganj Upazila]] of [[Chandpur District]]. He completed his bachelor's degree from [[Comilla Victoria College]].<ref name=warhero/>

==Career==
Chowdhury joined the 2nd Battalion the [[East Bengal Regiment]] of the [[Pakistan Army]] in 1958. He was promoted to the [[Major]] rank in April 1968.<ref name=warhero/>

===Role in Bangladesh liberation war===
In 1971, Chowdhury was posted in [[Chuadanga]], under [[Kushtia District]] as a major of the [[Pakistan army]] and the Commander of 4th Wing [[East Pakistan Rifles]] (EPR). He left for Kushtia with his family on 23 March 1971 to attend an official meeting. He was staying at Kushtia Circuit House on the night of 25–26 March when the news of [[Operation Searchlight]] reached him. Sensing imminent danger he left Kushtia on early morning of 26 March 1971 and headed to Chuadanga via Jhenaidah while local political workers have already revolted. Later [[Bengali people|Bengali]] soldiers raised the flag of Bangladesh at EPR 4th Wing Headquarters in Chuadanga.<ref>{{cite book |last= Nasim, A.S.M |title= Bangladesh fights for independence. |publisher= Columbia Prokashani |year= 2002 | pages = 57}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Imamuz Zaman |title= Bangladesh war of liberation |publisher= Columbia Prokashani |year= 2001 | pages = 13}}</ref> Later the 4th wing of EPR, led by Major Chowdhury and reinforced with Police and Ansar personnel and local youth, attacked 27 Baluch of Pakistan Army stationed at Kushtia and eliminated almost 2 companies.<ref>{{cite news |author=<nowiki>Brig Gen Shafaat Ahmad, ndc, psc (Retd)</nowiki> |title=Liberation war of Bangladesh |url=http://icsforum.org/mediarchive/3902 |work=Victory Day Special Supplement |publisher=The Independent |location=Dhaka |date=16 December 2009 |via=International Crimes Strategy Forum}}</ref>

In the first sector commander's conference in July, Chowdhury was appointed the commander of the western sector, which comprised [[Kushtia]], [[Jessore District|Jessore]], areas of [[Faridpur District|Faridpur]], including Doulatpur-Satkhira Road encompassed within [[Khulna]].

It was past noon of 26 March when Chowdhury reached his Wing headquarters at Chuadanga. There, his NCOs briefed him of the overall situation including formal organisation of local resistance in the wake of the crackdown at Dhaka. In the meantime local Awami League leader Dr Ashab Ul Haq, who had earlier declared war against the occupational Pakistan armed forces the same morning at a public meeting, had contacted him over telephone and invited him to an emergency meeting with the public leaders and representatives of the local administration. At the meeting Chowdhury was asked to take charge of the armed resistance force that he accepted at once. After a long discussion the first ever war command of Bangladesh, named South Western Command, was formed on 26 March 1971 in Chuadanga. While Chowdhury was given the position of the Commander, Dr Ashab Ul Haq, MPA became the Chief Advisor and Barrister Abu Ahmed Afzalur Rashid alias [[Badal Rashid]], MNA, and Advocate Yunus Ali, MPA, were made Deputy Chief Advisors. The whole of western region of the Padma was taken under the command comprising that of Kushtia, Faridpur, Jessore, Khulna districts. All the armed personnel from defence, EPR, Police, Ansar, Mujahid and armed student wing of the area were vested under the Command. The newly built District Council [[dak bungalow|Dak Bungalow]] was made the Command Headquarters. The next day on 27 March at about noon the Pakistani flag, last flying one at the EPR Wing headquarters was ceremoniously lowered and the tri-colour Bangladesh flag was hoisted at the flag post by Chowdhury. Captain A R Azam Chowdhury, his deputy, was there who afterwards played valiant role under the Command. Chowdhury held the position until division of Bangladesh war commands into 11 Sectors by the Provisional Government on 11 July 1971. The South Western Command was then renamed Sector-8 with some revision of the command area and Chowdhury continued to hold the position of the Sector Commander until Major M Abul Manjur took over in September 1971.

===Post war===
On 7 November 1975, during the [[3 November 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état|1975 coup]], Chowdhury's wife, Nazia Osman was killed in his Gulshan residence.<ref name=warhero/> He retired from Bangladesh Army as a [[lieutenant colonel]] in 1976.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-261052|title=Confer Bir Uttam award on Abu Osman Chowdhury|date=2012-12-14|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2018-06-30}}</ref> In 2014 he was awarded the [[Independence Day Award]] for his contribution to the [[Bangladesh Liberation War|Bangladesh Liberation war]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Prime minister distributes Independence Award|url=https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/Prime-minister-distributes-Independence-Award|access-date=2020-09-08|work=Prothom Alo |date=25 March 2014 |language=en}}</ref> On 5 September 2020, he died at the [[Combined Military Hospital (Dhaka)|Combined Military Hospital]] in [[Dhaka]].<ref name=warhero>{{Cite news |date=2020-09-06|title=Another war hero leaves|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/another-war-hero-leaves-1956565|access-date=2020-09-06|work=The Daily Star}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Abu Osman Chowdhury, sector commander of Bangladesh Liberation War, dies at 84|url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2020/09/05/abu-osman-chowdhury-sector-commander-of-bangladesh-liberation-war-dies-at-84|access-date=2020-09-06|work=bdnews24.com}}</ref> Though he initially tested positive for [[COVID-19]], a subsequent test did not detect the virus.<ref name=warhero/><ref>{{cite news |title=Sector Commander Abu Osman Chowdhury passes away |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/obituary/2020/09/05/sector-commander-abu-osman-chowdhury-passes-away |access-date=8 September 2020 |work=Dhaka Tribune |date=5 September 2022}}</ref> Abu Osman Chowdhury was given a state funeral and buried at [[Banani graveyard|Banani Army Graveyard]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Abu Osman Chowdhury dies |url=https://www.newagebd.net/article/115441/abu-osman-chowdhury-dies |access-date=8 September 2020 |work=New Age |date=5 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sector Commander Lt.Col(Rtd) Abu Osman Chowdhury passes away |url=https://en.barta24.com/details/national-en/102591/sector-commander-lt-col-rtd-abu-osman-chowdhury-passes-away |access-date=8 September 2020 |publisher=Barta24}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowdhury, Abu Osman}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Chandpur District]]
[[Category:Comilla Victoria Government College alumni]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi lieutenant colonels]]
[[Category:People of the Bangladesh Liberation War]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Independence Day Award]]
[[Category:Burials at Banani Graveyard]]
[[Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh]]

Abu Osman Chowdhury - Revision history

Bot at 03:40, 29 July 2022