>Jazzhands90 at 03:31, 18 January 2022

2022-01-18T03:31:32Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{short description|Bangladeshi businessman and politician (1947–2021)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Harris Chowdhury
| native_name = হারিস চৌধুরী
| native_name_lang = bn
| birth_name = Abul Harris Chowdhury
| birth_date = 1947
| death_date = September 2021 (aged 74–75)
| nationality = Bangladeshi
| occupation = {{hlist|Businessman|politician}}
| party = [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]]
}}

'''Abul Harris Chowdhury''' (1947 – September 2021) was a Bangladeshi businessman and politician who served as the political secretary of the then Prime Minister [[Khaleda Zia]]. He was a member of the [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Harris Chy among 9 charged with Kibria murder|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/harris-chy-among-9-charged-with-kibria-murder-50184|website=The Daily Star|accessdate=21 January 2017|language=en|date=13 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Manik|first1=Julfikar Ali|last2=Khan|first2=Sharier|title=Harris Chowdhury|url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2007/05/23/d7052301011.htm|work=The Daily Star|accessdate=21 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=High Court rejects former prime minister Khaleda Zia's plea|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-high-court-rejects-former-prime-minister-khaleda-zia-s-plea-2199423|website=dnaindia.com|publisher=Daily News & Analysis|accessdate=21 January 2017|date=7 April 2016}}</ref> Chowdhury was sentenced to 65 years in total and a life term in prison for committing multiple crimes.<ref name=where>{{Cite news|url=http://en.banglatribune.com/country/news/99/Where-is-Harris-Chowdhury|title=Where is Harris Chowdhury?|work=Bangla Tribune|access-date=14 October 2018|date=30 August 2017|language=en}}</ref> He fled the country in 2007 and was a fugitive after that time.<ref name=fmaker/>

==Career==
In 1991, Chowdhury lost the [[1991 Bangladeshi general election|Bangladeshi general election]] as a BNP candidate from the [[Sylhet-5]] constituency.<ref name=where/><ref name=1991election>{{cite web |url=http://votemonitor.net:80/bangladesh/EADetails_1991_1996_2001.php?EA=232 |title=Parliament Election Result of 1991,1996,2001 Bangladesh Election Information and Statistics|website=Vote Monitor Networks |access-date=14 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228234831/http://votemonitor.net/bangladesh/EADetails_1991_1996_2001.php?EA=232 |archive-date=28 December 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Before 2001, he was the president of National Institute for Deaf and Dumb when he hired eight to nine shops of the institution and launched car business through Asha Car Vision.<ref name=fmaker/> He served as the political secretary of the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia from 2001 to 2006.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sacked Sylhet mayor Ariful out of jail on bail|url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2017/01/04/sacked-sylhet-mayor-ariful-out-of-jail-on-bail|website=bdnews24.com|accessdate=21 January 2017}}</ref>

===Charges and convictions===
Chowdhury had been a fugitive since the military-backed interim caretaker government took the power on 11 January 2007. Later that year, Chowdhury was charged by the caretaker government of acquiring his wealth through corruption.<ref name=fmaker>{{cite web|title=Harris the fortune-maker|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-50533|website=The Daily Star|accessdate=21 January 2017|language=en|date=15 August 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Jail term for Khaleda Zia adviser|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6675899.stm|work=BBC News|accessdate=21 January 2017}}</ref> In October, he was sentenced to three years in jail by a special anti-corruption tribunal for illegally possessing foreign currency.<ref>{{cite web|title=Three more top Bangladeshis held|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6698949.stm|work=BBC News|accessdate=21 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2007/10/04/harris-chowdhury-jailed-for-3-years|title=Harris Chowdhury jailed for 3 years|access-date=14 October 2018|date=14 October 2007|work=bdnews24.com}}</ref> In November, a Dhaka court sentenced him to 59 years in jail and fined him Tk 21 lakh on five counts of charges, including abuse of power and government-transport mishandling.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://bdnews24.com/politics/2007/11/04/harris-chowdhury-to-spend-10-years-behind-bars|title=Harris Chowdhury to spend 10 years behind bars|access-date=14 October 2018|date=4 November 2007}}</ref>

He was charged with involvement in the murder of former finance minister, [[Shah A M S Kibria]], in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|title=Deputy speaker blames failure to try policemen's killers for Liton murder, seeks security for MPs|url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2017/01/02/deputy-speaker-blames-failure-to-try-policemen-s-killers-for-liton-murder-seeks-security-for-mps|website=bdnews24.com|accessdate=21 January 2017}}</ref> In November 2014, a supplementary chargesheet was submitted accusing 35 people including Chowdhury.<ref name=kibria>{{Cite news|url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2014/11/13/khaleda-s-ex-political-secretary-harris-chowdhury-implicated-in-kibria-murder|title=Khaleda's ex-political secretary Harris Chowdhury implicated in Kibria murder|access-date=14 October 2018}}</ref> Chowdhury was also charged with [[Zia Charitable Trust corruption case]].<ref name=kibria/>

Chowdhury was charged with involvement in the 15 August [[2004 Dhaka grenade attack]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Khaleda's ex-political secretary Harris Chowdhury implicated in Kibria murder|url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2014/11/13/khaleda-s-ex-political-secretary-harris-chowdhury-implicated-in-kibria-murder|website=bdnews24.com|accessdate=21 January 2017}}</ref> In December 2014, an arrest warrant was issued against him.<ref>{{cite web|title=Arrest warrants for Harris Chowdhury, BNP mayors in Kibria murder|url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2014/12/21/arrest-warrants-for-harris-chowdhury-bnp-mayors-in-kibria-murder|website=bdnews24.com|accessdate=21 January 2017}}</ref> In February 2016, his properties were confiscated by the directives of Bangladesh High Court.<ref>{{cite web|title=Court orders impounding of assets of 10 fugitives in explosives case over ex-minister Kibria murder|url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016/02/29/court-orders-impounding-of-assets-of-10-fugitives-in-explosives-case-over-ex-minister-kibria-murder|website=bdnews24.com|accessdate=21 January 2017}}</ref> In October 2018, a special court found Chowdhury and 37 others guilty in the grenade attack case. He was sentenced to life term in prison and fined Tk 50,000.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/august-21-carnage/21-august-grenade-attack-verdict-tarique-rahman-awarded-life-1645090|title=August 21 attack: 'State-backed crime' punished|date=11 October 2018|work=The Daily Star|access-date=14 October 2018|language=en}}</ref> [[Red Notice|Interpol Red Notice]] had been served on him in November 2015.<ref name=locate/> According to CID and police headquarters sources, as of October 2018, Chowdhury was moving through Malaysia, London, Singapore, United States and India.<ref name=locate>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/country/police-locate-harris-chowdhury-among-8-fugitives-august-21-grenade-attack-2004-in-dhaka-1644778|title=Cops locate Harris among 8 fugitives of Aug 21 grenade attack|date=9 October 2018|work=The Daily Star|access-date=14 October 2018|language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life and death==
Chowdhury was married to Josne Ara Chowdhury.<ref name=fmaker/> They had a son, Nayem Shafi Chowdhury and a daughter, Samira Tanjin.<ref name=fmaker/> He had a younger brother, Selim Chowdhury, and an elder sister, Akhlasun Nahar.<ref name=fmaker/> On 12 January 2022, it was announced that Chowdhury had died from [[COVID-19]] complications in [[London]], United Kingdom in September 2021, and was buried at the same location.<ref>{{Cite web|last=প্রতিনিধি|title=হারিছ চৌধুরী যুক্তরাজ্যে মারা গেছেন, জানালেন চাচাতো ভাই|url=https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/district/হারিছ-চৌধুরী-যুক্তরাজ্যে-মারা-গেছেন-জানালেন-চাচাতো-ভাই|access-date=12 January 2022|website=Prothomalo|language=bn}}</ref><ref>[https://www.risingbd.com/english/politics/news/84521 BNP leader Harris Chowdhury dies]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowdhury, Harris}}
[[Category:1950s births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:Bangladesh Nationalist Party politicians]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi politicians convicted of crimes]]
[[Category:Place of birth missing]]
[[Category:Date of birth missing]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi male criminals]]
[[Category:People from Sylhet District]]
[[Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in England]]
{{BangladeshNationalistParty-politician-stub}}

Harris Chowdhury - Revision history

>Jazzhands90 at 03:31, 18 January 2022