Altaf Hossain Chowdhury
{{short description|Bangladeshi politician}}
{{distinguish|Altaf Hossain Chowdhury (Faridpur politician)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = Air Vice Marshal
| name = Altaf Hossain Chowdhury
| native_name =
| native_name_lang = bn
| image = Altaf Hussain Chaudhary in New Delhi on November 17, 2004.jpg
| caption = Chowdhury in 2004
| office = 8th Chief of Air Staff
| term_start = 4 June 1991
| term_end = 3 June 1995
| president = Shahabuddin Ahmed (acting)
Abdur Rahman Biswas
| primeminister = Khaleda Zia
| predecessor = Momtaz Uddin Ahmed
| successor = Jamal Uddin Ahmed
| office1 = Minister of Home Affairs
| primeminister1 = Khaleda Zia
| term_start1 = 10 October 2001
| term_end1 = 25 March 2004
| predecessor1 = Mohammed Nasim
| successor1 = Sahara Khatun
| office2 = Minister of Commerce
| primeminister2 = Khaleda Zia
| term_start2 = 25 March 2004
| term_end2 = 24 April 2006
| predecessor2 = Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury
| successor2 = Hafizuddin Ahmed
| constituency_MP3 = Patuakhali-1
| term_start3 = 28 October 2001
| term_end3 = 27 October 2006
| predecessor3 = Shahjahan Mia
| successor3 = Shahjahan Mia
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|64|2007|05|28}}{{Cite news |title=Altaf Hossain Chowdhury in custody of joint forces |url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/altaf-hossain-chowdhury-in-custody-of-joint-forces |access-date=2020-09-10 |work=bdnews24.com |date=28 May 2007}}
| party = Bangladesh Nationalist Party
| allegiance = {{PAK}} (before 1972)
{{BAN}}
| branch = {{Air force|Pakistan}}
{{Air force|Bangladesh}}
| serviceyears = 1963–1995
| rank = 20px Air Vice Marshal
20px
| unit = No. 5 Squadron PAF
No. 10 Squadron
| commands = *Commandant of Bangladesh Air Force Academy
- Director of Directorate General of Defence Purchase
- AOC of BAF Base Matiur Rahman
- ACAS (Administration) at Air Headquarters
- Chief of Air Staff
}}
Altaf Hossain Chowdhury is a former chief of Bangladesh Air Force and a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician.{{cite news |title=Former Bangladeshi ministers held |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6699589.stm |work=BBC News |access-date=11 November 2016}} He served as a minister of home affairs and commerce during 2001–2006.{{Cite news |title=Surprise Cabinet Shake-up |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2004/03/26/d4032601011.htm |access-date=2020-09-08 |work=The Daily Star |date=2004-03-26}}{{Cite news |title=Cabinet reshuffle: Altaf minister without portfolio, Hafizuddin Commerce Minister (Updated) |url=https://bdnews24.com/politics/cabinet-reshuffle-altaf-minister-without-portfolio-hafizuddin-commerce-minister-updated |access-date=2020-09-09 |work=bdnews24.com |date=24 April 2006}} He was a Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Patuakhali-1 constituency in the same period.{{Cite web |title=List of 8th Parliament Members |url=https://www.parliament.gov.bd/index.php/en/mps/members-of-parliament/former-mp-s/list-of-8th-parliament-members-bangla |access-date=2020-09-10 |website=Bangladesh Parliament |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918161135/http://www.parliament.gov.bd/images/pdf/formermp-bangla/8th%20Parliament%20.pdf |archive-date=18 September 2018}}
Career
=Military=
Chowdhury started his career as a fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force, qualifying as a lead pilot in the Dassault Mirage III. In 1971, he was a flight lieutenant. He joined the Bangladesh Air Force in 1972 as a squadron leader after being released from detention by Pakistan. Between 1974 and 1977 he was instructor at the pilot training school. He was the chief of Bangladesh Air Force from 1991 to 1995.
=Political=
After retiring from the military service in 1995 he joined Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He went on to serve as a minister of different ministries and a Jatiya Sangsad member during the BNP administration from 2001 until 2006.
Chowdhury served as the president of Patuakhali district BNP in 2008.{{Cite news |date=2008-12-25 |title=Kutti faction keeps away from Altaf |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-68622 |access-date=2020-09-10 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} He lost both the 2008 and 2018 general elections to the Awami League candidate Shahjahan Mia.{{Cite web |title=Bangladesh Parliament Election - Detail Results - Amar Desh Online |url=http://amardesh.com/EADetailsYear.php?sol=111&Year=2008 |access-date=2020-09-10 |website=amardesh.com}}{{Cite news |date=2019-01-01 |title=All but AL candidates lose deposit |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/all-al-candidates-lose-deposit-1681243 |access-date=2020-09-10 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} As of 2016, Chowdhury has been a vice chairman of the party.{{cite news |title=BNP leader RA Gani laid to rest |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/politics/bnp-leader-ra-gani-laid-rest-202378 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=11 November 2016 |date=15 January 2016}}
=Charges=
Chowdhury was taken into custody of joint forces in May 2007 during the caretaker government regime.{{Cite news |date=2007-05-29 |title=Former Bangladeshi ministers held |language=en-GB |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6699589.stm |access-date=2020-09-10}} The force seized a shotgun and a rifle, 99 bullets, 970 pieces of saree and 160 pieces of lungi of the government relief materials from his Patuakhali residence.{{Cite news |title=Jalil, Babar remanded; Altaf, Patal sent to jail |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2007/05/30/d7053001011.htm |access-date=2020-09-10 |work=The Daily Star |archive-date=2016-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923045504/http://archive.thedailystar.net/2007/05/30/d7053001011.htm |url-status=dead}}
On 18 December 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against Chowdhury for concealing wealth information and amassing wealth worth beyond known sources of income.{{Cite news |date=2018-04-04 |title=Graft: Trial against BNP ex-minister Altaf Hossain to go on |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/politics/corruption-trial-against-bnp-former-minister-altaf-hossain-chowdhury-go-high-court-bangladesh-1557973 |access-date=2020-09-10 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} In April 2017, the High Court cleared the way for a lower court to resume the trial proceedings.{{Cite news |date=2017-04-12 |title=Illegal wealth: Trial to go on against BNP's Altaf |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/politics/illegal-wealth-trial-go-against-bnp-altaf-hossain-choudhury-1390222 |access-date=2020-09-10 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2017-04-13 |title=Resume trial proceedings: HC |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/resume-trial-proceedings-hc-1390507 |access-date=2020-09-10 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
On 26 February 2008, the ACC filed another case accusing Khaleda Zia and 10 of her former cabinet members, including Chowdhury, of taking bribes in the Barapukuria coalmine deal. In December 2017, the High Court asked Chowdhury to surrender to a lower court within four weeks in this case.{{Cite news |date=2017-12-06 |title=Ex-home minister Altaf Hossain asked to surrender in graft case |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/court/2017/12/06/ex-home-minister-altaf-hossain-asked-surrender-graft-case |access-date=2020-09-10 |work=Dhaka Tribune}}
On 11 June 2011, Chowdhury and Hafizuddin Ahmed were arrested and sent to jail in connection with an arson case.{{Cite news |date=2011-06-14 |title=Altaf, Hafiz sent to jail |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-189933 |access-date=2020-09-10 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} They were later freed on bail.{{Cite news |date=2011-06-16 |title=Altaf, Hafiz freed on bail |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-190191 |access-date=2020-09-10 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}
Personal life
Chowdhury is married to Suriya Chowdhury.{{Cite news |title=Former BNP minister Altaf Hossain's motorcade attacked in Patuakhali during poll campaign |url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/former-bnp-minister-altaf-hossains-motorcade-attacked-in-patuakhali-during-poll-campaign |access-date=2020-09-10 |work=bdnews24.com |date=2015-12-22}} Chowdhury's two brothers, Babul Chowdhury and Shahin Chowdhury, were accused in an armed robbery case in Mirzaganj Upazila in Patuakhali in 2007.{{Cite news |title=2 brothers of ex-minister Altaf accused in robbery case |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2006/2007/03/19/d70319070586.htm |access-date=2020-09-10 |work=The Daily Star |date=2007-03-19}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowdhury, Altaf Hossain}}
Category:People from Patuakhali district
Category:Politicians from Barisal Division
Category:Chiefs of Air Staff (Bangladesh)
Category:Bangladesh Air Force air marshals
Category:Bangladesh Nationalist Party politicians
Category:8th Jatiya Sangsad members
Category:Ministers of home affairs of Bangladesh