Enamul Hoque Chowdhury | |
|---|---|
| এনামুল হক চৌধুরী | |
| Chairman of the Press Institute of Bangladesh | |
| In office 22 June 2021 –21 June 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Abed Khan |
| Succeeded by | Himself |
| In office 29 October 2023 –8 September 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Himself |
| Succeeded by | Professor Firdous Azim |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Bangladeshi |
| Occupation | Journalist,Editor |
Enamul Hoque Chowdhury is a Bangladeshi journalist and the former chairman of the Press Institute of Bangladesh. [1] He is also the former editor of the Daily Sun ,a prominent English-language daily newspaper in Bangladesh. [2] He was the Minister (Press) at Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi. [3]
Chowdhury has had a distinguished career in journalism,working with several national and international news agencies and media outlets. He has worked for Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha,The Bangladesh Observer,Daily News (now defunct),The Independent,Desh TV,Reuters,and bdnews24.com. [4]
Chowdhury,then a journalist with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha and Reuters,was arrested in December 2002 for allegedly fabricating a quote linking al-Qaeda to deadly bombings in Mymensingh. [5] Reuters retracted related stories,BSS fired him,and police accused him of harming the nation's image and filed charges under the Special Powers Act. [5] Though Chowdhury admitted misattributing the quote,he denied criminal intent;legal proceedings and concerns over his treatment in custody followed. [5]
Chowdhury was among 40 individuals,including Awami League political leaders and intellectuals,wrongfully detained and tortured following the 2002 Mymensingh cinema bombings. [6] Later investigations confirmed that three militants from the banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh were responsible for the attacks,which killed 21 and injured around 200. [6] Chowdhury,who was dismissed from Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha without a proper investigation,has since demanded reinstatement and compensation for the injustice he faced. [6]
In June 2009,Chowdhury was appointed Minister (Press) at the Bangladesh High Commission,New Delhi,handling diplomatic media affairs,for a two-year term. [7] His appointment was extended multiple times,including a one-year extension in May 2015. [7]
Chowdhury was also a commissioner at the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh from 2 August 2016 to 2 August 2019. [8] [4] In May 2017,he was summoned by the High Court Division,which sought evidence on a report by his newspaper. [9] Chowdhury condemned the 2016 Nasirnagar violence as a planned attempt to drive out the Hindu minorities and grab their land. [10] He led a National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh delegation to the affected areas and criticized the inaction of local authorities. [10] Chowdhury stated the coordinated nature of the violence resembled atrocities from the 1971 Liberation War and called for a judicial probe to identify those responsible. [10]
Chowdhury was appointed chairman of the newly formed 15-member Press Institute of Bangladesh board in June 2021 by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for two years. [4] In August 2021,he was named in a defamation case filed by member of parliament and whip,Shamsul Haque Chowdhury. [11] In May 2022,he was appointed a syndicate board member of the World University of Bangladesh. [12] He is a member of the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association. [13]
On 20 August 2024,Chowdhury's office was attacked and vandalized for 20 minutes along with other media offices at the East West Media Group complex. [14]
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