A. B. M. Fazle Karim Chowdhury Explained

A.B.M. Fazle Karim Chowdhury (Junu Rajakar)
Native Name:এ.বি.এম ফজলে করিম চৌধুরী (জুনু রাজাকার)
Nationality:Bangladeshi
Profession:Business
Residence:Iqbal villa, 30 Patharghata, Kotwali, Chittagong
Office:Member of Parliament
Term Start:5 January 2014
Predecessor:Mohammad Hasan Mahmud
Successor:TBA
Constituency:Chittagong-6
Constituency1:Chittagong-6
Term Start1:1 October 2001
Term End1:29 October 2006
Predecessor1:Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury
Successor1:Mohammad Hasan Mahmud
Alma Mater:University of Chittagong
Birth Date:6 November 1954
Mother:Sajeda Kabir Chowdhury
Birth Place:Chittagong, East Pakistan
Party:Awami League
Relatives:The Chowdhury family of Chittagong
Term End:6 August 2024

A.B.M. Fazle Karim Chowdhury is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and the incumbent Member of Parliament of Raozan upazila in Chittagong District. He is the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Railways Ministry.[1] His father, AKM Fazlul Kabir Chowdhury, was a Prominent Bangladeshi served as a member of parliament as well as Leader of the Opposition in the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly.

Early life

Chowdhury was born on 6 November 1954.[2] He has a B.A. and a M.A. degree. His father was AKM Fazlul Kabir Chowdhury and his uncle was Fazlul Quader Chowdhury.[3] His cousins and Bangladesh Nationalist Party politicians, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury, was a major political opponent of Chowdhury in Chittagong.[4]

Career

Chowdhury was elected to Parliament in 2001 from Chittagong-6 as an Awami League candidate with 52 percent of the vote.[5] He faced two murder charges; he received acquittal in one and a discharge in another.[6] Charges were pressed against him in 2003 over the murder of Srikanta Rakshit, a computer engineer, in Chittagong.[7] He called it fake charges and blamed his political rivals, Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury and Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury. Charges were framed against him in the Chittagong Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal in 2004.[8]

Chowdhury was re-elected to Parliament from Chittagong-5 as a candidate of Awami League with 49 percent of the votes.[9] Chowdhury served as the Chairman of the Parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.[10] He was a member of the parliamentary standing committee on the Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs ministry.[11]

Chowdhury was elected to parliament from Chittagong-6 in 2014 as an Awami League candidate in an uncontested election boycotted by other political parties.[12] According to his wealth statement, he made significant profit from fish farming at around 25 million taka.[13]

In January 2015, Chowdhury was elected to the Human Rights Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.[14]

Chowdhury was re-elected to Parliament in 2018 as a candidate of Awami League with 230, 471 votes while his nearest rival, Jashim Uddin Shikder of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, received 2, 244 votes. In December 2019, he stood for the election of President of Chittagong unit of Awami League but lost to MA Salam.[15]

Chowdhury tested positive for COVID-19 in August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.[16]

On 24 August 2021, Chowdhury chaired a meeting of the Parliamentary standing committee on the Railway Ministry.[17] In November 2021, nearly all candidates, over 100, in the Union Parishad elections were elected uncontested as politicians from parties other than Awami League were prevent from standing by Chowdhury and Awami League activists allegedly.[18] [19] Chowdhury denied all allegations against him.

Notes and References

  1. News: 2020-10-20 . JS sub-committee formed to look into alleged corruption in tender, procurement in railways . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . en.
  2. Web site: A.B.M. Fazle Karim Chowdhury -এ.বি.এম ফজলে করিম চৌধুরী Biography . 2022-01-02 . Amarmp . en.
  3. News: Cousin castigates SQ Chowdhury . live . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . https://web.archive.org/web/20220102202823/http://archive.thedailystar.net/2003/07/16/d30716011010.htm . 2 January 2022.
  4. News: Ctg people want to get rid of SQ Chy reign . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star.
  5. News: 2018-11-25 . Chattogram-6 - Constituency detail of Bangladesh General Election 2018 . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . en.
  6. News: Islam . Zyma . 2019-01-11 . What do the affidavits of our MPs disclose about their past? . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . en.
  7. News: 11 August 2003 . Charges pressed against AL MP, 16 others for Srikanta murder . live . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . https://web.archive.org/web/20220102201841/http://archive.thedailystar.net/2003/08/11/d30811011414.htm . 2 January 2022.
  8. News: AL lawmaker charged with Rakshit killing . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . 2004-01-14.
  9. Web site: 2018-11-25 . Chattogram-5 - Constituency detail of Bangladesh General Election 2018 . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . en.
  10. News: 2010-01-29 . New law to facilitate housing on cards . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . en.
  11. News: 2009-07-20 . 45,000 acre hills lands not used as per lease terms . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . en.
  12. Web site: A.B.M. Fazle Karim Chowdhury -এ.বি.এম ফজলে করিম চৌধুরী History . 2022-01-02 . Amarmp . en.
  13. News: 'Love' for land knows no bounds . The Daily Star . 21 January 2017 . 2 January 2014.
  14. News: 2015-01-26 . AL lawmaker elected vice-president of IPU HR body . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . en.
  15. News: 2019-12-08 . Salam, Ataur at AL Ctg north helm . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . en.
  16. News: 2020-08-18 . AL lawmaker Fazle Karim Chowdhury tests positive for Covid-19 . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . en.
  17. News: 2021-08-24 . Want to oversee development activities of railways: Lawmakers at parliamentary body meeting . live . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20210825022551/https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/governance/news/want-oversee-development-activities-railways-lawmakers-parliamentary-body-meeting-2159996 . 25 August 2021.
  18. News: Dey . Arun Bikash . 2021-11-11 . UP Polls in Raozan: All candidates in 14 unions to win uncontested . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . en.
  19. News: Bhattacharjee . Partha Pratim . Hasan . Rashidul . 2021-11-14 . Third Phase Up Polls: Walkovers, AL rebels increase . 2022-01-02 . The Daily Star . en.