Wikipedia

Masud Uddin Chowdhury

Masud Uddin Chowdhury (Bengali: মাসুদ উদ্দিন চৌধুরী; born 30 June 1954) is a retired three star general of the Bangladesh Army and a politician of the Jatiya Party.[2][3] A former National Defence Force operative, Chowdhury served as former chief coordinator of the National Coordination Committee on Combating Corruption and Crime during the second Hasina ministry.[4]

Masud Uddin Chowdhury
Chowdhury in 2007
Member of the Bangladesh Parliament
for Feni-3
In office
30 January 2019 – 6 August 2024
Preceded byRahim Ullah
Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces Division
In office
5 June 2007 – 2 June 2008
PresidentIajuddin Ahmed
Prime MinisterFakhruddin Ahmed (acting)
Preceded byJahangir Alam Chowdhury
Succeeded byAbdul Mubeen
Chief Coordinator Of the National Coordination Committee Against Corruption and Crime
In office
2007–2008
Personal details
Born (1954-06-30) 30 June 1954 (age 71)
Sonagazi, East Bengal, Pakistan
SpouseJasmin Masud
RelativesSayeed Iskander (brother-in-law)
EducationM.D.S (NU), Postgraduation[1]
Military service
Allegiance Bangladesh
Branch/service Bangladesh Army
Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini
Years of service
1972–2008
RankLieutenant General
Commands
Battles/warsBangladesh Liberation War

Early life

edit

Chowdhury was born on 30 June 1954 to a Bengali family of Muslim Chowdhuries in the village of Sulakhali in Sonagazi, Feni, then part of the Noakhali district of East Bengal.[5]

Career

edit

Chowdhury was an officer of the Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini and was made a Bangladesh Army officer after the Jatiya Rakhi Bahini was absorbed into the army.[6]

Chowdhury was appointed as chief of counter intelligence bureau of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence in 2003 by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party government.[6]

Chowdhury served as a principal staff officer of the Bangladesh Armed Forces Division.[7] He also served as the general officer commanding (GOC) of 9 Infantry Division and area commander of the Savar area and GOC 33 Infantry Division and area commander of the Comilla area.[8] In 2007, he was the chief coordinator of the National Coordination Committee on Combating Corruption and Crime during the caretaker government rule during the 2006–2008 Bangladeshi political crisis.[9][10] He attended the 10th Annual Asia-Pacific Chiefs of Defence conference in the United States.[11] Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, told United States diplomat Geeta Pasi that he was tortured on the orders of Chowdhury in military custody.[12] Pasi reported it was surprising, as Chowdhury was believed to have been close to Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party.[12]

In June 2007, Chowdhury was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed as the principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division. Later he served at the National Defence College.[6][3] Chowdhury was the high commissioner for Bangladesh to Australia from June 2008 to 2014.[13][14][15] He founded the Picasso restaurant in Dhaka.[8]

In 2017, Chowdhury filed a case under section-57 of the Information and Communication Technology Act, 2006 against Afsan Chowdhury.[8]

Chowdhury became the member of parliament for Feni-3 in 2018 and again in 2024 by Jatiya Party ticket with the support of Awami League.[16][17]

Chowdhury is the president of Baridhara Cosmopolitan Club Limited.[18] He was re-elected president of the club in 2018.[19]

Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, Chowdhury's home in Feni was burned down and vandalized in February 2025.[20]

Arrest

edit

On 24 March 2026, Chowdhury was detained by police detectives in a late-night raid on his home in Dhaka led by Detective Branch Chief Shafiqul Islam.[21]

Personal life

edit

Chowdhury's brother-in-law, Sayeed Iskander, was the brother of a former prime minister, Khaleda Zia.[8]

References

edit
  1. ↑ "Constituency 267_11th_En". Bangladesh Parliament. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  2. ↑ "Gen Masud made NDC chief in army changes". bdnews24.com. 2 June 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Ershad appoints Masud Chy as defense adviser". The Daily Star. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  4. ↑ "Cleaning up the Mess". Star Weekend Magazine. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "সেনাবাহিনীতে থেকেই চাকরির মেয়াদ শেষ করতে চাই: লে. জে. মাসুদ". Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 "Lt Gen Masud posted to foreign ministry". The Daily Star. 9 June 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  7. ↑ দেশে ফেরার সময় গুনছেন জেনারেল মাসুদ চৌধুরী. RBN24 (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Case against Afsan Chowdhury over Facebook post". bdnews24.com. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  9. ↑ "Voicebox". Star Weekend Magazine. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  10. ↑ "Gen Masud recalled from Australia". The Daily Star. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  11. ↑ "Lt Gen Masud leaves for US". The Daily Star. UNB. 29 October 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  12. 1 2 "Not returning anytime soon". The Daily Star. 9 September 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  13. ↑ "The High Commissioner". Bangladesh High Commission, Canberra, Australia. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  14. ↑ "3 new diplomatic missions soon". The Daily Star. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  15. ↑ "Want to go on retirement from army, Gen Masud". Priyo News. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  16. ↑ Islam, Rafiqul (30 November 2018). "Lt Gen Masud's nomination irks 14-party leaders in Feni 3". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  17. ↑ "List of 11th Parliament Members". Bangladesh Parliament. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  18. ↑ "Baridhara Cosmopolitan Club donates ambulance to Kurmitola hospital". Dhaka Tribune. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  19. ↑ "Masud Uddin Chowdhury re-elected Baridhara Cosmopolitan Club president". Dhaka Tribune. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  20. ↑ ফেনীতে তিন সাবেক সাংসদের বাড়ি ও আওয়ামী লীগ কার্যালয়ে অগ্নিসংযোগ, ভাঙচুর. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 6 February 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  21. ↑ "Former general Masud Uddin Chowdhury, a prominent '1/11' figure, arrested". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Masud_Uddin_Chowdhury&oldid=1355493399"