Khoda Baksh Chowdhury Explained

Honorific Prefix:Inspector General of Police (Retd.)
Khoda Baksh Chowdhury
Native Name:খোদা বকশ চৌধুরী
Office:Special Assistant for Ministry of Home Affairs
1Blankname:Chief Adviser
1Namedata:Muhammad Yunus
Term Start:10 November 2024
Office1:23rd Inspector General of Bangladesh Police
Term Start1:2 November 2006
Term End1:29 January 2007
President1:Iajuddin Ahmed
Predecessor1:Anwarul Iqbal
Successor1:Nur Mohammad
Office2:3rd Director General of Rapid Action Battalion
Term Start2:31 October 2006
Term End2:2 November 2006
Primeminister2:Iajuddin Ahmed
President2:Iajuddin Ahmed
Predecessor2:Abdul Aziz Sarkar
Successor2:SM Mizanur Rahman
Office3:4th Chief Executive of Criminal Investigation Department
Predecessor3:Md. Amjad Hossain
Successor3:SM Mizanur Rahman
Appointer3:Minister of Home Affairs
Termstart3:9 January 2006
Termend3:1 November 2006
Birth Date:15 August 1952
Birth Place:Chittagong, East Bengal, Pakistan
Nationality:Bangladeshi
Alma Mater:University of Dhaka
Bangladesh Police Academy
Module:
Embed:yes
Service:Dhaka Metropolitan Police
Branch: Bangladesh Police
Service Label:Unit
Department:Criminal Investigation Department
Rank: IGP
Years:1979 - 2009
Status:Retired

Khuda Baksh Chowdhury (born 15 August 1952) is a former Inspector General of Police of Bangladesh Police[1] and Special Assistant (status equivalent to a Minister of State) to the Chief Adviser of the Interim government of Bangladesh.[2] [3]

He also served as the Senior Police Advisor in UNAMA from June 2008 to April 2010.[4] He is a former Director General of Rapid Action Battalion, an elite paramilitary unit.

Education

Chowdhury obtained B.A. (Hons.) in Political Science (enrolled in 1969) and M.A. in Public Administration from University of Dhaka.[5] [6] He was a freedom fighter during the 1971 Liberation War.[7]

Career

Chowdhury joined the Bangladesh Police in 1979.[8]

Chowdhury joined U.N. Administrative Mission UNTAES (United Nations Administration in Eastern Slavonia; part of Croatia now) on May 1996 and served the Mission first as Deputy Sector Chief and later Sector Chief of one of the two Sectors of the Mission. Few years later he joined UNMIBH (United Nations Mission in Bosnia Herzegovina), a Monitoring Mission, at Sarajevo on August 1999 and worked in the Mission as Deputy Regional Commander and Regional Commander, Sarajevo IPTF Region among a group of International Civilian Police Officers.

Chowdhury was posted to CID as Additional IGP on January 9, 2006.[9] Chowdhury served as the president of Bangladesh Police Service Association (BPSA) in 2006. On 31 October 2006, he was appointed as the DG of Rapid Action Battalion. 2 days later, he was promoted to Inspector General of Police of Bangladesh Police by replacing Anwarul Iqbal.[10] He was posted as O.S.D. in January 2007 after successor neutral Fakhruddin Ahmed led Caretaker Government took office and retired voluntarily in July 2009.[11]

Chowdhury worked as Senior Police Advisor, UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan), as a UN Staff member from June 2008 to April 2010. He was elected as the 1st Chair of Senior Police Advisory Group (SPAG) of International Police Coordination Board (IPCB). On completion of the tenure, UNDP Afghanistan contracted him as an International Consultant.

On 10 November 2024, Chowdhury was appointed as the Special Assistant (status equivalent to a Minister of State) to the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh.[12] He was given executive power over Ministry of Home Affairs. [13] [14]

2004 Dhaka grenade attack case

In 2007, after the military-backed government assumed office, fresh investigation into the case was launched on the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack.

In July 2008, on completion of investigation CID prosecuted 22 accused and trial began. After Awami League formed government in 2009, prosecution filed a petition to launch further investigation into the incident in June 2009. In July 2011, 23 months after further investigation, CID submitted a supplementary chargesheet where Chowdhury, along with two other former inspectors general, was implicated. He appeared before the Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court and the Judge rejected bail prayer.[15] [16]

As Trial of the case resumed, Chowdhury was charged under Section 218 (creating false document) and Section 330 (extorting confession) of Bangladesh Penal Code and granted bail.[17]

Chowdhury was convicted in October 2018 by a Dhaka lower court but High Court stayed the conviction and granted bail in January 2019. [18]

Notes and References

  1. News: Bangladesh widens crackdown on crime ahead of poll. Ahmed. Anis. U.S.. 2018-10-31. en-US. 2007-01-21.
  2. News: CA appoints 3 new special assistants with state ministerial rank . The Daily Star . 11 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241112081956/https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/governance/news/ca-appoints-3-new-special-assistants-state-ministerial-rank-3749851 . 2024-11-12 . en.
  3. News: 3 special assistants appointed to ministries of home affairs, health and education . . 11 November 2024 . en.
  4. Web site: Yumpu.com . EUPOL - Serving Afghanistan . 2024-10-14 . yumpu.com . en.
  5. Web site: DU'69 Batch EC members' get-together held. greenwatchbd.com. en-US. 2017-04-27. 2018-10-31.
  6. News: DU'69 Batch EC members' get-together held. ntv.com. NTV Online. 2018-10-31.
  7. Book: আহমদ, মহিউদ্দিন . ১৯৭১ ভারতের বাংলাদেশ যুদ্ধ . 2023 . প্রথমা প্রকাশন . 9789849755425 . 454 . Bengali.
  8. News: BPSA new committee: Adl DIG Khoda Baksh president, SP Bakhtiar GS. 2018-10-31. 2006-01-06. bdnews24.com.
  9. Web site: Major shakeup in police admin : Changes in army too; Maj Gen Manirul made new SSF chief. The Daily Star. 2007-01-30. 2018-10-31.
  10. News: IGP, new DG RAB removed in another police shuffle. 2018-10-31. 2006-11-01.
  11. News: সাবেক আইজিপি খোদা বখসের অবসর অনুমোদন . bdnews24.com. Bengali.
  12. News: Three appointed special assistants to chief advisor with ministerial rank . . 11 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241112042001/https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2a1709411c6e . 2024-11-12 . en.
  13. Web site: 2024-11-10 . অন্তর্বর্তীকালীন সরকারের প্রধান উপদেষ্টা কর্তৃক বর্ণিত ব্যক্তিবর্গকে প্রতিমন্ত্রীর পদমর্যাদায় বিশেষ সহকারী হিসেবে নিয়োগদান . Cabinet Division, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh . bn.
  14. Web site: 2024-11-11 . CA appoints three special assistants to aid home, health, education advisers . Prothomalo . en.
  15. News: Tarique not returning. 2011-07-05. The Daily Star. 2018-10-31. en.
  16. News: 3 former police chiefs land in jail. 2018-10-31. 2011-07-04.
  17. News: 5 former top cops out on bail. 2012-04-11. The Daily Star. 2018-10-31. en.
  18. News: August 21 attack: 'State-backed crime' punished. 2018-10-11. The Daily Star. 2018-10-31. en.