Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury: Difference between revisions

{{short description|Bangladeshi politician}}{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}

|image = Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury press conference 2010.jpg

|caption = Chowdhury at a 2010 press conference

|name = Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury

|native_name = সালাউদ্দিন কাদের চৌধুরী

|native_name_lang = bn

|office=[[Member of Parliament#Bangladesh|Member of Parliament]]

|term_start=25 January 2009

|term_end=24 January 2014

|predecessor=[[L. K. Siddiqi]]

|successor=[[Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizvandary]]

|constituency=[[Chittagong-2]]

|term_start1=19 March 1996

|term_end1=27 October 2006

|predecessor1=[[Md Yousuf]]

|successor1=[[Moin Uddin Khan Badal]]

|constituency1=[[Chittagong-7]]

|term_start2=5 March 1991

|term_end2=24 November 1995

|predecessor2=[[Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu]]

|successor2=[[Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury]]  

|constituency2=[[Chittagong-6]]

|alma_mater = {{unbulleted list|[[Sadiq Public School]]|[[University of Punjab]]}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Bengali against executions of opposition leaders Imran Khan has sent a letter to the Prime Minister, Salah al-Din was evidence of innocence |url=http://www.newstime.jp/news/bengali-against-executions-of-opposition-leaders-imran-khan-has-sent-a-letter-to-the-prime-minister-salah-al-din-was-evidence-of-innocence |work=News Time |date=24 November 2015 |access-date=14 August 2016}}</ref>

|occupation = Politician

|father = [[Fazlul Quader Chowdhury]]

|death_date = {{death date and age|2015|11|22|1949|3|13|df=y}}

|death_place = [[Dhaka Central Jail]], [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh

|death_cause = Hanging (Capital punishment)

|birth_date = {{birth date|1949|3|13|df=y}}

|birth_place=[[Chittagong]], [[East Bengal]], [[Dominion of Pakistan]]

|party = [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]]

|resting_place = [[Raozan Upazila]], Chittagong

|spouse = Farhat Quader Chowdhury  

|children = Farzin, Hummam and Fazlul

|relatives={{unbulleted list|[[Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury|Giasuddin]] (brother)|[[Salman F Rahman]] (cousin)}}

|nationality=Bangladeshi

'''Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury''' (13 March 1949 – 22 November 2015) was a Bangladeshi politician, minister and six-term member of [[Jatiya Sangsad]] and member of the [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]] (BNP) [[Standing Committee]], who served as the adviser of parliamentary affairs to Prime Minister [[Khaleda Zia]] in from 2001 to 2006.<ref name=fe>{{cite news |title=Please spare his life, SQ Chy's family urges President |url=http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/search_index.php?news_id=3466&page=detail_news |newspaper=The Financial Express |location=Dhaka |date=6 July 2007 |access-date=20 April 2011}}</ref> On {{nowrap|1 October 2013}} he was convicted of 9 of 23 charges and sentenced to death by the [[International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh)|International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh]] for crimes during the 1971 [[Bangladesh War of Independence]].<ref name=economist/><ref name=bbc>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh MP Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury to hang for war crimes |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24344868 |work=BBC News |date=1 October 2013 |access-date=1 October 2013}}</ref><ref name=Bartrop>{{cite book |last=Bartrop |first=Paul R. |date=2012 |title=A Biographical Encyclopedia of Contemporary Genocide |publisher=ABC-CLIO |page=374 |isbn=978-0313386787}}</ref> He was put to death by hanging in Dhaka on 22 November 2015.<ref name=economist/>

Chowdhury was a member of the [[Jatiyo Sangshad|Bangladesh Parliament]].<ref name=mp>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.gov.bd/9th_Parliament_MP%20List.pdf |title=9th Parliament MP List |website=Bangladesh Parliament |language=bn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090806195805/http://www.parliament.gov.bd/9th_Parliament_MP%20List.pdf |archive-date=6 August 2009 |access-date=20 April 2011}}</ref> He was a member of the standing committee of [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party|Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.bnpbangladesh.com/standing-committee-2009-2016/ |title=Standing Committee |website=Bangladesh National Party (BNP) |access-date=2017-02-11}}</ref>

Chowdhury was a seven-term Member of Parliament, generally representing [[Rangunia Upazila|Rangunia]] and/or [[Boalkhali Upazila]]s, starting with constituency [[Chittagong-7]] in [[1979 Bangladeshi general election|1979]]. He was elected for [[Chittagong-6]] in 1986 and 1991.<ref name=91,96>{{cite news |title=SQ Chy feared Rangunia debacle |url=http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?id=205095&cid=43 |newspaper=bdnews24.com |date=5 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030102701/http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=205095&cid=43 |archive-date=30 October 2012 |access-date=18 September 2011}}</ref> He was elected for Chittagong-7 again in [[June 1996 Bangladeshi general election|1996]],<ref name=91,96 /> and re-elected in [[2001 Bangladeshi general election|2001]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.gov.bd/M_P%20List-300.pdf |title=8th Parliament MP List |website=Bangladesh Parliament |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430051455/http://www.parliament.gov.bd/M_P%20List-300.pdf |archive-date=30 April 2011 |access-date=20 April 2011}}</ref> His final term, to which he was elected in [[2008 Bangladeshi general election|2008]], was for [[Chittagong-2]].<ref name=mp />

Chowdhury was arrested 2011 from his "safe house" in [[Dhanmondi]] and questioned by the special branch of police,<ref>{{cite news |title=SQ Chy being quizzed at this 'safe house' |url=http://www.theindependentbd.com/national/48980-sq-chy-at-safe-home.html |newspaper=Independent |location=Dhaka |date=10 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524014404/http://www.theindependentbd.com/national/48980-sq-chy-at-safe-home.html |archive-date=24 May 2012 |access-date=29 August 2011 }}</ref> where he was reportedly tortured.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Klasra |first1=Rauf |date=19 December 2010 |title=Bitter past revived: Labelled traitor, an MP reminisces|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/91820/bitter-past-revived-labelled-traitor-an-mp-reminsces/ |newspaper=The Express Tribune |access-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> The trial for his involvements in the 1971 Bangladesh genocide were due to begin in August 2011.<ref name="august trial">{{cite news |title=SQ Chy's trial to begin in August: Quamrul |url=http://www.bdinn.com/news/sq-chy%E2%80%99s-trial-to-begin-in-august-quamrul/ |newspaper=BD Inn |date=14 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101073003/http://www.bdinn.com/news/sq-chy%E2%80%99s-trial-to-begin-in-august-quamrul/ |archive-date=1 November 2013 |access-date=29 August 2011}}</ref>

Among the charges submitted against Chowdhury in the International Crimes Tribunal were:<ref name=DT-1>{{cite news |title=Charges against SQ Chy |url=http://www.dhakatribune.com/law-amp-rights/2013/oct/01/charges-against-sq-chy |newspaper=[[Dhaka Tribune]] |date=1 October 2013 |access-date=1 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001064124/http://www.dhakatribune.com/law-amp-rights/2013/oct/01/charges-against-sq-chy |archive-date=1 October 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name=BDN-001>{{cite news |title=The charges against Salauddin Quader |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/10/01/the-charges-against-salauddin-quader |newspaper=[[bdnews24.com]] |date=1 October 2013 |access-date=1 October 2013}}</ref>

# Abduction of 7 Hindu minority and killing 6 of them on 4–5 April 1971.<ref name="do30Jul2015">{{cite news |title=Justice delayed, but not finally denied |url=http://www.observerbd.com/2015/07/30/101936.php |newspaper=The Daily Observer |location=Dhaka |access-date=27 January 2016}}</ref>

# Accompanying Pakistan army at the time of killing Maddhya Gohira Hindu Parha in Raozan on 13 April 1971.<ref>{{cite news |title=Salauddin |url=http://www.observerbd.com/2015/11/22/122171.php |newspaper=The Daily Observer |location=Dhaka |access-date=27 January 2016}}</ref>

# Killing Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya owner and social worker [[Nutan Chandra Singha]] 13 April 1971. His son testified at the trial.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nutan Chandra's son testifies against SQ Chy |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/war-crimes-trials/2012/06/20/nutan-chandra-s-son-testifies-against-sq-chy |newspaper=bdnews24.com |access-date=27 January 2016}}</ref>

# Complicity in the killing of Satish Chandra Palit on 14 April, burning his house, and the deportation of his family. Satish's son testified in court against Salahuddin Quader.<ref>{{cite news |title=Son testifies on father's killing |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/son-testifies-on-fathers-killing/ |newspaper=The Daily Star |access-date=27 January 2016}}</ref>

On 1 October 2013, the [[International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh)|International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh]] sentenced Chowdhury to death by hanging for nine out of the 23 charges brought against him.<ref name=bbc/> His party BNP argued that the trial is politically motivated.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh sentences 7th opposition lawmaker to death |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Bangladesh-sentences-7th-opposition-lawmaker-to-death/articleshow/23348606.cms |newspaper=The Times of India |agency=Reuters |date=1 October 2013 |access-date=1 October 2013}}</ref> On 18 November 2015, [[Bangladesh Supreme Court]] dismissed the appeal of Chowdhury, upholding the death sentence.<ref>{{cite news |title=SC publishes full verdict on Salauddin, Mojaheed |url=http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/86445/SC-publishes-full-verdict-on-Salauddin-Mojaheed |newspaper=Prothom Alo |access-date = 2015-11-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh Set to Hang Opposition Leaders Within Days |url=http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/bangladesh-set-to-hang-opposition-leaders-within-days-1245556 |work=NDTV |access-date=2015-11-20}}</ref> According to jail officials, Chowdhury asked for mercy in a petition to the [[President of Bangladesh]], but his appeal was rejected.<ref name="IT1">{{cite news |title=Bangladesh president rejects mercy plea of 2 war criminals |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Bangladesh-president-rejects-mercy-plea-of-2-war-criminals/articleshow/49875037.cms |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |access-date = 2015-11-21}}</ref><ref name="IT2">{{cite news |title=Bangladesh president rejects death-row mercy petitions |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/bangladesh-president-rejects-death-row-mercy-petitions/articleshow/49875033.cms |newspaper=Economic Times |access-date=21 November 2015}}</ref>

Chowdhury was married to Farhat Quader Chowdhury.<ref name="wifeson"/> Their children include  Farzin, Hummam (b. 1983) and  Fazlul.<ref name=maze>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2006/02/14/d60214011310.htm|title=Feuding SQ Chy family wanders in legal maze|publisher=The Daily Star|date=2006-02-14|access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref><ref name="wifeson">{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/country/hc-asks-sq-chys-wife-son-surrender-1318738 |title=Verdict leak: HC asks SQ Chy's wife, son to surrender to lower cour |date=2016-11-22  |newspaper=The Daily Star |access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/bangladesh-sons-convicted-war-criminals-detained-160811134823481.html|title=Bangladesh: Sons of convicted war criminals detained|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref> In August 2016, [[Human Rights Watch]] and [[Amnesty International]] alleged that Hummam was arrested on 4 August 2016, and disappeared. Amnesty says multiple credible sources place him at [[Rapid Action Battalion]] (RAB) headquarters in Dhaka on 12 August, but authorities have denied having him in custody.<ref>{{cite news |title=Amnesty, HRW condemn 'detention' of SQ Chy, Mir Quasem's sons |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/city/amnesty-hrw-condemn-detention-sq-chy-mir-quasems-sons-1269919 |newspaper=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)]] |date=15 August 2016 |access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref> Hummam returned home in March 2017.