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TL;DR
- Former Bangladeshi President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury passed away at 93 on October 5, 2024, at the Medical College for Women in Uttara.
- Chowdhury had a distinguished career in medicine and politics, serving as a professor and later as a member of parliament, deputy prime minister, and president.
- He resigned from the presidency in 2002 due to political disagreements and subsequently founded the political party Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh in 2004.
- He is survived by his wife Hasina Warda Chowdhury and three children, including Mahi B Chowdhury, a politician and former MP.
Former President of Bangladesh, Professor AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, passed away at the age of 93 in the early hours of October 5, 2024. He died at the Medical College for Women in Uttara at 3:10 am, as confirmed by his press secretary, Jahangir Alam. Chowdhury had been admitted to the hospital on October 2 due to a lung infection and was also suffering from ischemic heart disease, as stated by his daughter, Dr. Shayla Chowdhury.
Born on October 11, 1930, in Cumilla, Badruddoza Chowdhury was set to celebrate his 94th birthday next week. He began his career in the medical field as an associate professor at Rajshahi Medical College in 1964 and later served at Sir Salimullah Medical College and Sylhet Medical College. His political journey commenced in 1978 when he joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) at the behest of Ziaur Rahman, the party’s founder. Elected as a Member of Parliament from Munshiganj in 1979, he served as Deputy Prime Minister and later as a cabinet minister until 1982. In 1991, he was re-elected as an MP and became the Deputy House Leader in the Jatiya Sangsad.
In 2001, following BNP’s return to power, Chowdhury was appointed Foreign Minister and subsequently elected President of Bangladesh in November. However, he resigned from the presidency on June 21, 2002, due to political disagreements within the party. In 2004, he left BNP and established Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, aiming to create an alternative political force.
Chowdhury hailed from a politically active family; his father Kafiluddin Chowdhury was a prominent Awami League leader and minister in East Pakistan’s provincial cabinet. Badruddoza Chowdhury completed his MBBS degree from Dhaka Medical College. He is survived by his wife Hasina Warda Chowdhury and their three children: Muna Chowdhury, a lawyer; Shayla Chowdhury, a physician; and Mahi B Chowdhury, a politician and former MP.
Throughout his life, Badruddoza Chowdhury was not only a physician but also an esteemed cultural activist, author, essayist, playwright, television presenter, and orator. He received numerous accolades for his contributions to society, including the National Television Award in 1976 and the Independence Medal in 1993. His legacy as a multifaceted leader leaves a lasting impact on both Bangladesh’s political landscape and cultural heritage.
Source: TBS News
