Virtual Bangladesh : Biography

AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury

Prof AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury is the ex-president of Bangladesh and was previously the Deputy Prime Minister of President Ziaur Rahman's presidential cabinet and was in charge of the Ministry of Health and Population.

Second son of late Kafil Uddin Chowdhury, a minister in the then East Pakistan and an architect of the United Front, Prof Chowdhury had his education in St Gregory High School, Dhaka College, Dhaka Medical College and University of Wales in UK. He received his Post Graduate Medical Training in London, Cardiff and Edinburgh.

Prof Chowdhury secured the second position in the Matriculation Examination and the first position in MBBS (Medicine) Examination.

He did his MRCP from Royal College of Physicians at Edinburgh and Glasgow and TDD from Wales University. He was elected FCPS (Bangladesh) as the honorary fellow. In 1978, he was elected fellow to the Royal College of Physicians from Edinburgh and later from Glasgow.

Author of a large number of research papers in national and international journals, Prof Chowdhury was also the President of the National Anti-Tuberculosis Association of Bangladesh (NATAB) for a number of times. He is former president of International Union against Tuberculosis of LUNA Disease (IUATLD) of Asia Pacific Zone with Headquarters in Paris.

Well-known for his aptitude towards, and liaison with the cultural movement of the country, Prof Chowdhury is also an effective author, essayist, playwright and anorator of distinction. He received the National Television Award in 1976. Prof AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury was appointed Deputy Prime Minister on April 15, 1979 and held the portfolio of the Ministry of Health and Family Planning.

As leader of Bangladesh delegation he attended several conferences. As an envoy of the Bangladesh President he went for lobbying for the Security Council seat in UN, which ultimately lead to the withdrawal of Mongolian's candidature and contributed to win the seat against Japan. He met the Russian Vice-President and President of Mongolia, and succeeded in winning the seat of Security Council in 1978.

Prof Chowdhury led delegations to international conferences on tuberculosis and chest diseases in New Delhi (1974), Seoul, Korea (1976), Istanbul, Turkey (1977), Brussels, Belgium (1978) and Brighten, UK (1978). He was the Head of the Bangladesh delegation to the World Health Conference in Geneva in 1978 and 1979.

He was the alternate leader of the Bangladesh delegation to the UN General Assembly session in 1981 and member of Bangladesh delegation on UN's 50th anniversary.

He was the founding Secretary General of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) when Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman was its Founder Chairman. He was the Deputy Leader of the BNP Parliamentary Party and the House after 1979 election.

He was the senior Deputy Prime Minister in Ziaur Rahman's Cabinet. He is also the Foreign Minister of the present government.

Prof Chowdhury is married to Mrs Hasina Choudhury. He has two daughters-- Moona and Shaila and a son Mahi. He has also two grandchildren-Scherazad and Arastales.