Abul Hasan Chowdhury
Abul Hasan Chowdhury (Bengali: আবুল হাসান চৌধুরী; born 15 April 1951) is a Bangladeshi politician and the former state Minister of foreign affairs of Bangladesh.[1] He served as the state minister for foreign affairs from 1996 to 2001 under the Awami League government.
Abul Hasan Chowdhury | |
|---|---|
আবুল হাসান চৌধুরী | |
| State Minister of Ministry of foreign affairs | |
| In office 1996–2001 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 April 1951 Dacca, East Bengal, Dominion of Pakistan |
| Political party | Bangladesh Awami League |
| Spouse(s) | Nahid Chowdhury |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) |
|
| Relatives | Abdul Hamid Chowdhury (grandfather) |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford |
Early life and educationEdit
Chowdhury was born on 15 April 1951 in Dacca, East Bengal. He belonged to a Bengali Muslim zamindar family from Nagbari in Tangail, then part of Mymensingh district. He is the eldest son of the former president of Bangladesh, Abu Sayeed Chowdhury.[2] His grandfather, Abdul Hamid Chowdhury, was a former speaker of the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly.[3]
After completing his primary and secondary education in Dhaka, Chowdhury was admitted to the University of Oxford where he studied philosophy, politics and economics.
PoliticsEdit
Abul Hasan Chowdhury joined the Awami League in 1990. He won his first election in 1991 from his ancestral constituency, Madhupur. He was the opposition whip and international affairs secretary of Awami league from 1991 to 1996, while the party was in opposition. After winning his second election in 1996 he served as the state minister of foreign affairs.
ControversyEdit
The World Bank pulled out the $1.2 Bn funding for the Padma bridge project on the grounds that there was conspiracy to commit corruption. Abul Hasan Chowdhury, along with a few others, were accused of using connections in order to acquire the project. The Royal Canada Mounted Police filed a case in Toronto against the accused.
Dismissal of all ChargesEdit
In 2015, the ACC investigated the case of Padma Bridge Scandal. After the World Bank continuously pushed the government to take actions against the alleged perpetrators, after 53 days' of investigation, ACC found nobody to be guilty. On the basis of ACC's report, Dhaka district judge court acquitted all the seven government officials who were alleged to have been involved in the corruption plot. Before that, the ACC exonerated Syed Abul Hossain and ex-state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury from the allegation of involvement in the corruption conspiracy.
In 2017, the Canadian court found no proof of Padma bridge conspiracy and the Ontario Superior Court acquitted all, dismissing the case.[4]
Personal lifeEdit
Abul Hasan Chowdhury is married to Nahid Chowdhury.
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ Sun, The Daily. "Abul Hasan Chowdhury Former State Minister". Abul Hasan Chowdhury Former State Minister. Retrieved 2017-01-27.
- ↑ "Hasina blames "one person" for World Bank pullout on Padma Bridge". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2017-04-24.
- ↑ "সাবেক স্পিকার আব্দুল হামিদ চৌধুরীর ৪৫তম মৃত্যুবার্ষিকী আজ". The Daily Ittefaq (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ↑ "Canada court finds no proof of Padma bridge bribery conspiracy". The Daily Star. 2017-02-11. Retrieved 2017-12-20.