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{{short description|Bangladeshi politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu
| native_name = আখতারুজ্জামান চৌধুরী বাবু
| office = [[Member of Parliament#Bangladesh|Member of Parliament]]
| term_start = 2009
| term_end = 2012
| image =
| predecessor = [[Sarwar Jamal Nizam]]
| successor = [[Saifuzzaman Chowdhury]]
| constituency = [[Chittagong-12]]
| term_start2 = 1986
| term_end2 = 1988
| constituency2 = [[Chittagong-12]]
| predecessor2 = [[Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury]]
| successor2 = [[Mokhtar Ahmad]]
| term_start1 = 1991
| term_end1 = 1995
| predecessor1 = [[Mokhtar Ahmad]]
| successor1 = [[Sarwar Jamal Nizam]]
| constituency1 = [[Chittagong-12]]
| nationality = Bangladeshi
| spouse =
| children = 6
| birth_date = {{birth date|1945|05|01|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Chittagong]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2012|11|4|1945|5|1|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Singapore]]
| party = [[Bangladesh Awami League]]
}}
'''Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu''' (1 May 1945 – 4 November 2012) was a [[Bangladesh Awami League]] politician and a former [[Jatiya Sangsad]] member representing the [[Chittagong-12]] constituency. He was awarded [[Independence Award]] in 2021 posthumously.<ref>[https://www.newagebd.net/article/132037/10-named-for-independence-award-2021 10 named for Independence Award 2021, New age, 7 March 2021]</ref> He was also the principal accused of the murder of businessman Humayun Zahir and was infamous for his role in capturing [[United Commercial Bank Ltd]] putting the board members at gunpoint.<ref>{{cite news |title=Official accused of storming bank in Bangladesh |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/aug/28/bangladesh|access-date=1 November 2022 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

==Early life==
Babu was born on 1 May 1945. He was elected to East Pakistan provincial assembly from Anwara-West Patia in 1970.<ref name="bnews">{{cite news |title=Akhtaruzzaman Babu MP dies |url=https://bdnews24.com/politics/2012/11/04/akhtaruzzaman-babu-mp-dies |access-date=24 December 2018 |work=bdnews24.com}}</ref> He was involved with [[Bangladesh Chhatra League]] as a student. During Bangladesh Liberation war, he organized [[Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra]] in Chittagong.<ref name="ds" />

==Career==
Babu was elected to Parliament on in 1986, 1991, and 2008 from Chittagong-12 as a Bangladesh Awami League candidate. He was made the president of the South Chittagong District unit of the Awami League in 1977, a position held till his death. He was the founder and chairman of [[United Commercial Bank Ltd]] and Aramit Group. He served as the president of [[Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry]]. He was the chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Textiles and Jute.<ref name="bnews" /><ref name="ds">{{cite news |title=Akhtaruzzaman passes away |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-256302 |access-date=24 December 2018 |work=The Daily Star |date=5 November 2012 |language=en}}</ref>

==Criminal charges==
Akhtaruzzaman was the principal accused in the murder case of businessman Humayun Zahir who was killed after a feud over the control of [[United Commercial Bank Limited]] board arose on 8 April 1993. He was ousted from the board on charges of defalcation and irregularities. He was later arrested but after being released on bail, he left the country. He returned to the country in 1996 after Awami League formed the government and [[Sheikh Hasina]] became Prime Minister. He was a close confidante of [[Sheikh Hasina]] and was serving as the industry and commerce secretary of the Awami League then.<ref>{{cite news |title=Official accused of storming bank in Bangladesh |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/aug/28/bangladesh|access-date=1 November 2022 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

On 26 August 1999 he stormed the bank with around 40 armed cadres led by his son [[Saifuzzaman Chowdhury]] when a board meeting was underway. They forced the chairman Zafar Ahmed Chowdhury and the other board members of the bank to submit their resignation from the board at gunpoint and declared himself the chairman of the bank's board. It is alleged that his hired thugs assaulted the board members and stripped the chairman of the bank naked.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lessons from three black chapters of the banking sector |url=https://en.prothomalo.com/opinion/op-ed/lessons-from-three-black-chapters-of-the-banking-sector|access-date=1 November 2022 |work=Prothom Alo}}</ref>

==Achievement==
Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu organized the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra in Chittagong. He also founded United Commercial Bank Limited and made it one of Bangladesh's most successful banks. Late Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu was awarded the "Independence Award 2021" for his tremendous contribution in the war 1971, the highest civilian award given by the government of Bangladesh. <ref>{{cite news |last1=Mahmud |first1=Arshad |title=Officially Details About Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu |url=https://akhtaruzzamanchowdhurybabu.com/about/|access-date=11 March 2021 |work=Website |date=10 March 2021}}</ref>

==Death==
Babu died on 4 November 2012 from kidney complications at [[Mount Elizabeth Hospital]] in [[Singapore]].<ref name="ds" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Awami League MP Akhtaruzzaman passes away |url=https://www.clickittefaq.com/al-mp-akhtaruzzaman-chy-babu-passes-away/ |access-date=24 December 2018 |work=The Daily Ittefaq |date=4 November 2022}}</ref> The Muradpur-Lalkhan Bazar flyover has been named Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury flyover in his memory.<ref>{{cite news |title=Muradpur flyover to be opened by next week |url=http://m.thedailynewnation.com/news/135497/muradpur--flyover-to-be-opened-by-next-week |access-date=24 December 2018 |work=The New Nation}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=New MPs also to 'dodge' tax |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/new-mps-also-to-dodge-tax |access-date=24 December 2018 |work=The Daily Star |date=29 September 2013 |language=en}}</ref> His daughter, Roxana Zaman, is a director of [[United Commercial Bank (Bangladesh)|United Commercial Bank]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mrs. Roxana Zaman - United Commercial Bank (UCB)|url=https://www.ucb.com.bd/know-ucb/about-us/board-of-directors/roxana-zaman|access-date=2022-01-31|website=Mrs. Roxana Zaman - United Commercial Bank (UCB)|language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Babu, Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:Awami League politicians]]
[[Category:4th Jatiya Sangsad members]]
[[Category:5th Jatiya Sangsad members]]
[[Category:9th Jatiya Sangsad members]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi bankers]]
[[Category:People from Anwara Upazila]]
[[Category:Notre Dame College, Dhaka alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Independence Day Award]]

Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu - Revision history

Bot at 05:00, 23 December 2022