>Allforrous at 00:52, 14 December 2021

2021-12-14T00:52:26Z

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{{short description|Bangladeshi politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[Air Vice Marshal]] (retd.)
| name = Altaf Hossain Chowdhury
| native_name = আলতাফ হোসেন চৌধুরী
| native_name_lang = bn
| image = Altaf Hussain Chaudhary in New Delhi on November 17, 2004.jpg
| caption = Chowdhury in 2004
| office = 8th [[Chief of Air Staff (Bangladesh)|Chief of Air Staff]]
| term_start = 1991
| term_end = 1995
| predecessor = [[Momtaz Uddin Ahmed]]
| successor = [[Jamal Uddin Ahmed]]
| office1 = [[Ministry of Home Affairs (Bangladesh)|Minister of Home Affairs]]
| term_start1 = 10 October 2001
| term_end1 = 25 March 2004
| predecessor1 = [[Mohammed Nasim]]
| successor1 = [[Sahara Khatun]]
| office2 = [[Ministry of Commerce (Bangladesh)|Minister of Commerce]]
| term_start2 = 25 March 2004
| term_end2 = 24 April 2006
| predecessor2 = [[Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury]]
| successor2 = [[Hafizuddin Ahmed]]
| constituency_MP3 = [[Patuakhali-1]]
| term_start3 = 28 October 2001
| term_end3 = 27 October 2006
| predecessor3 = [[Shahjahan Mia]]
| successor3 = Shahjahan Mia
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|64|2007|05|28}}<ref name=custody>{{Cite news|title=Altaf Hossain Chowdhury in custody of joint forces|url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2007/05/28/altaf-hossain-chowdhury-in-custody-of-joint-forces|access-date=2020-09-10|work=bdnews24.com}}</ref>
| party = [[Bangladesh National Party]]
| allegiance = {{ubl|Pakistan|Bangladesh}}
| branch = {{ubl|[[Pakistan Air Force]]|[[Bangladesh Air Force]]}}
| serviceyears = 1963–1995
| rank = [[File:British RAF OF-7.svg|20px]] [[Air Vice Marshal]]<br/>[[File:Air Vice-Marshal star plate.svg|20px]]
| unit = [[No. 5 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)]] (1963–1971)
}}
'''Altaf Hossain Chowdhury''' is a former chief of [[Bangladesh Air Force]] and a [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]] politician.<ref>{{cite news|title=Former Bangladeshi ministers held|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6699589.stm|work=BBC News|access-date=11 November 2016}}</ref> He served as a minister of home affairs and commerce during 2001–2006.<ref name=commerce>{{Cite news |title=Surprise Cabinet Shake-up|url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2004/03/26/d4032601011.htm|access-date=2020-09-08|work=The Daily Star|date=2004-03-26}}</ref><ref name=sacked>{{Cite news|title=Cabinet reshuffle: Altaf minister without portfolio, Hafizuddin Commerce Minister (Updated)|url=https://bdnews24.com/politics/2006/04/24/cabinet-reshuffle-altaf-minister-without-portfolio-hafizuddin-commerce-minister-updated|access-date=2020-09-09|work=bdnews24.com}}</ref> He was a [[Jatiya Sangsad]] member representing the [[Patuakhali-1]] constituency in the same period.<ref>{{Cite web|title=List of 8th Parliament Members|url=https://www.parliament.gov.bd/index.php/en/mps/members-of-parliament/former-mp-s/list-of-8th-parliament-members-bangla|access-date=2020-09-10|website=Bangladesh Parliament}}</ref>

==Career==
===Military===
Chowdhury started his career as a fighter pilot in the [[Pakistan Air Force]], qualifying as a lead pilot in the [[Dassault Mirage III]]. In 1971 he was a [[Flight Lieutenant]]. He joined the [[Bangladesh Air Force]] in 1972 as a [[Squadron Leader]] after being released from detention by Pakistan. Between 1974 and 1977 he was instructor at the pilot training school. He was the [[Chief of Air Staff (Bangladesh)|Chief of Bangladesh Air Force]] from 1991 to 1995.

===Political===
After retiring from the military service in 1995 he joined [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]].<ref name=custody/> He went on to serve as a minister of different ministries and a [[Jatiya Sangsad]] member during the BNP administration from 2001 until 2006.

Chowdhury served as the president of Patuakhali district BNP in 2008.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2008-12-25|title=Kutti faction keeps away from Altaf|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-68622|access-date=2020-09-10|work=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> He lost both the [[2008 Bangladeshi general election|2008]] and [[2018 Bangladeshi general election|2018 general elections]] to the [[Awami League]] candidate [[Shahjahan Mia]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bangladesh Parliament Election - Detail Results - Amar Desh Online|url=http://amardesh.com/EADetailsYear.php?sol=111&Year=2008|access-date=2020-09-10|website=amardesh.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2019-01-01|title=All but AL candidates lose deposit|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/all-al-candidates-lose-deposit-1681243|access-date=2020-09-10|work=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> As of 2016, Chowdhury has been a Vice chairman of the party.<ref>{{cite news|title=BNP leader RA Gani laid to rest|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/politics/bnp-leader-ra-gani-laid-rest-202378|work=The Daily Star|access-date=11 November 2016|date=15 January 2016}}</ref>

===Charges===
Chowdhury was taken into custody of joint forces in May 2007 during the caretaker government regime.<ref name=custody/><ref>{{Cite news|date=2007-05-29|title=Former Bangladeshi ministers held|language=en-GB|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6699589.stm|access-date=2020-09-10}}</ref> The force seized a shotgun and a rifle, 99 bullets, 970 pieces of saree and 160 pieces of lungi of the government relief materials from his Patuakhali residence.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Jalil, Babar remanded; Altaf, Patal sent to jail|url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2007/05/30/d7053001011.htm|access-date=2020-09-10|work=The Daily Star}}</ref>

On 18 December 2007, the [[Anti-Corruption Commission (Bangladesh)|Anti-Corruption Commission]] (ACC) filed a case against Chowdhury for concealing wealth information and amassing wealth worth beyond known sources of income.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2018-04-04|title=Graft: Trial against BNP ex-minister Altaf Hossain to go on|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/politics/corruption-trial-against-bnp-former-minister-altaf-hossain-chowdhury-go-high-court-bangladesh-1557973|access-date=2020-09-10|work=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> In April 2017, the High Court cleared the way for a lower court to resume the trial proceedings.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-04-12|title=Illegal wealth: Trial to go on against BNP’s Altaf|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/politics/illegal-wealth-trial-go-against-bnp-altaf-hossain-choudhury-1390222|access-date=2020-09-10|work=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-04-13|title=Resume trial proceedings: HC|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/resume-trial-proceedings-hc-1390507|access-date=2020-09-10|work=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref>

On 26 February 2008, ACC filed another case accusing [[Khaleda Zia]] and 10 of her former cabinet members, including Chowdhury, of taking bribe in the [[Barapukuria coal scam|Barapukuria coalmine deal]]. In December 2017, the High Court asked Chowdhury to surrender to a lower court within four weeks in this case.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-12-06|title=Ex-home minister Altaf Hossain asked to surrender in graft case|url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/court/2017/12/06/ex-home-minister-altaf-hossain-asked-surrender-graft-case|access-date=2020-09-10|work=Dhaka Tribune}}</ref>

On 11 June 2011, Chowdhury and [[Hafizuddin Ahmed]] were arrested and sent to jail in connection with an arson case.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2011-06-14|title=Altaf, Hafiz sent to jail|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-189933|access-date=2020-09-10|work=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> They were later freed on bail.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2011-06-16|title=Altaf, Hafiz freed on bail|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-190191|access-date=2020-09-10|work=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Chowdhury is married to Suriya Chowdhury.<ref name=motorcade>{{Cite news|title=Former BNP minister Altaf Hossain’s motorcade attacked in Patuakhali during poll campaign|url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2015/12/22/former-bnp-minister-altaf-hossains-motorcade-attacked-in-patuakhali-during-poll-campaign|access-date=2020-09-10|work=bdnews24.com|date=2015-12-22}}</ref> Chowdhury's two brothers, Babul Chowdhury and Shahin Chowdhury, were accused in an armed robbery case in [[Mirzaganj Upazila]] in Patuakhali in 2007.<ref>{{Cite news|title=2 brothers of ex-minister Altaf accused in robbery case|url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2006/2007/03/19/d70319070586.htm|access-date=2020-09-10|work=The Daily Star|date=2007-03-19}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commonscatinline}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowdhury, Altaf Hossain}}
[[Category:1940s births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Patuakhali district]]
[[Category:Chiefs of Air Staff (Bangladesh)]]
[[Category:Bangladesh Air Force air marshals]]
[[Category:Bangladesh Nationalist Party politicians]]
[[Category:8th Jatiya Sangsad members]]
[[Category:Home Affairs ministers of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Commerce ministers of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]]

Altaf Hossain Chowdhury - Revision history

>Allforrous at 00:52, 14 December 2021