Harun Ahmed Chowdhury

Last updated
Harun Ahmed Chowdhury
Born (1945-11-06) November 6, 1945 (age 79)
Noakhali District, Bengal, British India
AllegianceFlag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan (before 1971)
Service / branch
Years of service1966-2000
Rank Bangladesh-army-OF-7.svg Major General
BD Army Major General Star Plate.svg
Unit East Bengal Regiment
Battles / wars Bangladesh Liberation War
Awards Bir Uttom ribbon.svg Bir Uttom

Harun Ahmed Chowdhury is a retired Major General of the Bangladesh Army. He was the first High Commissioner of Bangladesh to the Maldives. He had served as the ambassador of Bangladesh to Cyprus and Serbia. He is a veteran of the Bangladesh Liberation War and was awarded Bir Uttom, the second-highest military award for individual gallantry. [1]

Contents

Early Life and Education

Chowdhury was born on 6 November 1945 in Noakhali District, Bengal, British India. His father was Justice Abdus Sobhan Chowdhury. He passed his matriculation from Jessore Zilla School in 1960. He completed his intermediate from Dinajpur Government College in 1962. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dhaka College in 1964. At the same year he joined the Pakistan Army. [2]

Career

Chowdhury joined the Pakistan Military Academy as a cadet in 1964. He was commissioned in 5th East Bengal Regiment in 1966. Later he was deputed to East Pakistan Rifles. He was a captain of the 17th wing of the East Pakistan Rifles in 1971. [3] [4] [5] He fought in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 after rebelling against Pakistan Army in Kaptai region where he was stationed. [6] [7] He commanded a company of East Pakistan Rifles and was ordered by Major General Ziaur Rahman to remain with the 8th East Bengal Regiment. [8] He was injured while fighting in the battle of Kalurghat and had to be stitched up by a veterinarian doctor. [6] [8] His second his command, Lieutenant Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury was captured during the battle by the 3rd Commando Battalion of the Special Service Group of the Pakistan Army. [9] [10] He was awarded the Bir Uttom, the second-highest military award for individual gallantry. [6]

After the independence of Bangladesh he joined the Bangladesh Army. He was promoted to the rank of Major in 1977. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1981. At the time of the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman in 1981, Chowdhury was the director of military intelligence. [11] He wrote the announcement for the murder of General Muhammed Abul Manzur, suspect in the assassination of the president, with input from chief of general staff Major General Nuruddin Khan. [11]

Chowdhury was promoted to the rank of Colonel in 1985. He was the defence attache at the High Commission of Bangladesh to the United Kingdom in 1985. [12] He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier and Major General in 1986 and 1987 respectively. Later his job was placed under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was appointed the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Cyprus in 1988. [13] He was the ambassador of Bangladesh to Serbia in 1992. [14] He was the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Zimbabwe in 1996. [15]

In 1998, Chowdhury was appointed the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Maldives, the first High Commissioner to be stationed in the Maldives. [16] He went to retirement in 2000.

In July 2007, as a member of the Freedom Fighters People's Council, Chowdhury asked the caretaker government of Bangladesh to publish a list of veterans of Bangladesh Liberation War. [17]

Chowdhury was invited to Kolkata in December 2023 by the government of India on the occasion of Vijoy Dibas. [18]

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References

  1. ↑ "Govt panel decides to revoke Zia's Bir Uttam gallantry award". The Financial Express. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
  2. ↑ https://songramernotebook.com/archives/504378
  3. ↑ Nasim, A. S. M. (2002). Bangladesh Fights for Independence. Columbia Prokashani. p. 62.
  4. ↑ Chowdhury, R. (2020-01-19). "Unforgettable Zia, As I Knew Him". South Asia Journal. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
  5. ↑ "Muktijuddho (Bangladesh Liberation War 1971) - We revolt of East Bengal Regiment - History of Bangladesh". www.londoni.co. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
  6. 1 2 3 "Op-Ed: Tales of struggle and glory". Dhaka Tribune . 23 March 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  7. ↑ Ibrahim, Major GeneralSyed Muhammad; Protik, Bir (2019-03-26). "The first resistance against Pakistan: March 19, 1971". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
  8. 1 2 "The battle of resistance at Kalurghat". The Financial Express. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
  9. ↑ Zaman, Imamuz (2001). Bangladesh War of Liberation. Columbia Prokashani. p. 8.
  10. ↑ Śaphiullāh, Ke Ema (1989). Bangladesh at War. Academic Publishers. p. 50. ISBN   978-984-08-0109-1.
  11. 1 2 Liton, Shakhawat; Halder, Chaitanya Chandra (2014-04-27). "The nation fed cooked-up story". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
  12. ↑ The London Diplomatic List. H.M. Stationery Office. June 1984. p. 5.
  13. ↑ Cyprus Bulletin: Review of Cyprus Developments. Press and Information Office, Republic of Cyprus. 1988.
  14. ↑ Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, 1992. Europa Publications. 1992. p. 310. ISBN   978-0-946653-77-5.
  15. ↑ World Solar Summit Report: 16-17 September 1996, Harare, Zimbabwe. UNESCO. 1996. p. 2.
  16. ↑ "High Commission of Maldives - Maldives-Bangladesh Relations". www.maldivesbd.org. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
  17. ↑ "Publish list of anti-liberation forces". The Daily Star. 3 July 2007. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
  18. ↑ "36 freedom fighters invited to celebrate 'Vijoy Dibas' in Kolkata". The Daily Star. 2023-12-12. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
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