Bot at 18:22, 17 September 2022

2022-09-17T18:22:08Z

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{{Short description|Bangladeshi social activist (1938–2019)}}
{{infobox person
| name = Jharna Dhara Chowdhury
| native_name = ঝর্ণা ধারা চৌধুরী
| native_name_lang = bn
| birth_date = 15 October 1938
| birth_place = [[Lakshmipur District]], [[East Bengal]], [[British India]]
| death_date = 27 June 2019
| death_place = [[Dhaka]], [[Bangladesh]]
| occupation = Social activist
| awards = [[Ekushey Padak]] (2015) <br> [[Padma Shri]] (2013)
}}

'''Jharna Dhara Chowdhury''' (15 October 1938 – 27 June 2019)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.daily-sun.com/post/402662/Gandhian-activist-Jharna-Dhara-Chowdhury-passes-away|title=Gandhian activist Jharna Dhara Chowdhury passes away | Daily Sun |}}</ref> was a Bangladeshi social activist.<ref>{{Cite web|last=সংবাদদাতা|first=নিজস্ব|title=নোয়াখালি গাঁধী আশ্রমের সচিব ঝর্নাধারা প্রয়াত|url=https://www.anandabazar.com/world/jharna-dhara-chowdhury-passes-away-1.1010409|access-date=2022-01-02|website=www.anandabazar.com|language=bn}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Chowdhury was born on 15 October 1938 in [[Lakshmipur District]], [[East Bengal]], [[British India]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2016-02-05|title=Jharna Dhara Chowdhury|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/supplements/star-lifetime-awardees-2016/jharna-dhara-chowdhury-212692|access-date=2022-01-02|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> Her parents were Promoth Chowdhury and Ashalata Chowdhury.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gandhian Jharna Dhara Chowdhury dies {{!}} banglatribune.com|url=https://en.banglatribune.com/others/news/56373/Gandhian-Jharna-Dhara-Chowdhury-dies|access-date=2022-01-02|website=Bangla Tribune|language=en}}</ref> Her home was burned during the [[Noakhali riots]] and she fled with her family to Assam.<ref name=":0" /> She returned after the riots ended and was inspired by the works of Mahatma Gandhi who had come to the region on a peace mission after the riots.<ref name=":0" />

==Career==
During the Bangladesh Liberation war in 1971, Chowdhury helped around 500 girls flee the violence to India.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tripathi|first=Salil|date=2013-01-25|title=Retracing Gandhi’s footsteps|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/XOU5tQD5KvlgaMnW4GVb1K/Retracing-Gandhis-footsteps.html|access-date=2022-01-02|website=mint|language=en}}</ref>

In 1990 Chowdhury took charge of the Gandhi Ashram Trust in [[Jayag Village]], [[Chatkhil Upazila]], Noakhali District.<ref name=":0" />

Chowdhury was the Secretary of the ''Gandhi Ashram Trust'' in [[Noakhali District]].<ref name="bbn">{{cite news |date=January 26, 2013 |title=Jharna Dhara Chowdhury conferred Padma Shri Award |url=http://businessnews-bd.com/jharna-dhara-chowdhury-conferred-padma-shri-award/ |publisher=Bangladesh Business News |access-date=February 19, 2022}}</ref>

In 2013, Chowdhury was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India.<ref>{{Cite web|title=President Pranab Mukherjee confers Padma awards|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/president-pranab-mukherjee-confers-padma-awards-519690|access-date=2022-01-02|website=NDTV.com}}</ref>

Chowdhury was awarded the Ekushey Padak, the second highest civilian award, for her contribution to social services in Bangladesh.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Poet Nurul Huda among 15 named for Ekushey Padak 2015|url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2015/02/08/poet-nurul-huda-among-15-named-for-ekushey-padak-2015|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-02|website=bdnews24.com}}</ref>

In 2016, Chowdhury oversaw the creation of the Gandhi Memorial School in the Gandhi Ashram Trust campus and which was financed by the Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission, an organ of the Indian [[Ministry of Culture (India)|Ministry of Culture]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Correspondent|first=Senior|last2=bdnews24.com|title=Gandhi Memorial School inaugurated in Bangladesh’s Noahkali district|url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016/09/03/gandhi-memorial-school-inaugurated-in-bangladeshs-noahkali-district|access-date=2022-01-02|website=bdnews24.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-03-13|title=What is Gandhi Heritage Site Mission?|url=https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/what-is-gandhi-heritage-site-mission-1552466135-1|access-date=2022-01-02|website=Jagranjosh.com}}</ref>

== Death ==
Chowdhury died on 27 June 2019 in [[Dhaka]], [[Bangladesh]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Social activist Jharna Dhara passes away|url=https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/social-activist-jharna-dhara-passes-away/21303|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-02|website=unb.com.bd|language=English}}</ref> She was being treated at [[Square Hospital]] after suffering brain hemorrhage on 1 June 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Correspondent|first=Senior|last2=bdnews24.com|title=Gandhi Ashram Trust Secretary Jharna Dhara Chowdhury dies|url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2019/06/27/gandhi-ashram-trust-secretary-jharna-dhara-chowdhury-dies|access-date=2022-01-02|website=bdnews24.com}}</ref> Her last rites took place at the [[Dhakeshwari Temple]] in Dhaka.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Jharna Dhara Chowdhury passes away - Front Page - observerbd.com|url=https://www.observerbd.com/news.php?id=204558|access-date=2022-01-02|website=The Daily Observer}}</ref> It was kept at the [[Shaheed Minar, Dhaka|Central Shaheed Minar]] the next day so people could pay their respects.<ref name=":1" />

==Awards==
* Gandhi Seva Puraskar (2010)<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/kolkata/gandhi-seva-puraskar-for-veteran-gandhian-of-noakhali/article1-607452.aspx
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220035317/http://www.hindustantimes.com/kolkata/gandhi-seva-puraskar-for-veteran-gandhian-of-noakhali/article1-607452.aspx
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=February 20, 2015
|title=Gandhi Seva Puraskar for veteran Gandhian of Noakhali|publisher=Hindustan Times|date=October 2, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Padma Shri]], India's fourth highest civilian award (2013)<ref name=bbn/>
* [[Ekushey Padak]] for social service (2015)<ref name=star>{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/14-honoured-with-ekushey-padak-2015-63901|title=14 honoured with Ekushey Padak 2015|publisher=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]]|date=February 9, 2015|access-date=February 19, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Jamnalal Bajaj Award]] (1998)<ref name="Jamnalal Bajaj Award">{{cite web |url=http://www.jamnalalbajajfoundation.org/awards/archives/1998/international/jharna-dhara-chowdhury |title=Kumari Jharna Dhara Chowdhury |website=Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation |date=2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819155917/http://www.jamnalalbajajfoundation.org/awards/archives/1998/international/jharna-dhara-chowdhury |archive-date=August 19, 2014 |access-date=October 13, 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Jamnalal Bajaj Award winners}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Social Work}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowdhury, Jharna Dhara}}
[[Category:Bangladeshi women activists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ekushey Padak]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work]]
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:Recipients of Begum Rokeya Padak]]
[[Category:People from Lakshmipur District]]

{{Bangladesh-activist-stub}}

Jharna Dhara Chowdhury - Revision history

Bot at 18:22, 17 September 2022