Enam Ahmed Chowdhury
{{Short description|Bangladeshi civil servant (1937–2025)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
Enam Ahmed Chowdhury (29 June 1937 – 3 February 2025) was a Bangladeshi civil servant who was secretary and chairman of the Privatization Commission.{{Cite web |date=19 December 2018 |title=BNP leader Enam joins AL |url=https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/BNP-leader-Enam-joins-AL |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=Prothomalo |language=en}} He was an Awami League politician and Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=19 December 2018 |title=BNP leader Enam Ahmed joins AL |url=https://www.daily-sun.com/printversion/details/358329 |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=Daily Sun |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Enam Ahmed Chaudhury joins AL |url=https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/politics/enam-ahmed-chaudhury-joins-al-1545235008 |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Financial Express |language=en}}
Early life
Chowdhury was born on 29 June 1937 in Sylhet District, Assam Province, British Raj.{{Cite web |title=Profile - Enam Ahmed Chaudhury |url=https://www.tritiyomatra.com/profile/186 |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=www.tritiyomatra.com |language=en}} He studied in Shillong, Assam. As a student he was a leader of the 1952 Bengali Language Movement.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4lxiAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Enam+Ahmed+Choudhury%22 |title=Essays on Ekushey, the Language Movement, 1952 |date=1994 |publisher=Bangla Academy |isbn=978-984-07-2968-5 |pages=73 |language=en}} He did his bachelors and masters in economics at the University of Dhaka. He did another masters at the University of Oxford.
Career
Chowdhury joined the Pakistan Civil Service in 1960. He was the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce in 1972 and 1973.{{Cite web |date=27 September 1973 |title=The Bangladesh Gazette |url=https://www.dpp.gov.bd/upload_file/gazettes/SRO-98,110,111-1973.pdf |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Bangladesh Gazette}}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xYGUGhfd6NIC&q=%22Enam+Ahmed+Choudhury%22 |title=Asian Recorder |date=1972 |publisher=K. K. Thomas at Recorder Press |pages=10683 |language=en}} He was the Director General of the Export Promotion Bureau in 1974.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OHAwAQAAIAAJ&dq=%22Enam+Ahmed+Choudhury%22&pg=RA7-PA13 |title=Bangladesh |date=1974 |publisher=Embassy of Bangladesh. |pages=13 |language=en}}
Chowdhury was one of the founders of Union Capital Limited, formed after purchasing the local operations of Peregrine Investments Holdings.{{Cite web |date=4 February 1998 |title=Local group to buy Peregrine's Bangladesh operations |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/local-group-to-buy-peregrines-bangladesh-operations |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}} He was the first chairman of Union Capital and had previously served as vice-president of the Islamic Development Bank. He joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in 1999.
Chowdhury served as the Chairman of the Privatization Commission. He was injured in a crash of Bangladesh Biman Airlines flight BG-601 in 2004 at Osmani International Airport.{{Cite web |title=Biman F-28 skids off runway, hits canal bank: 30 injured |url=https://archive.thedailystar.net/2004/10/09/d4100901011.htm |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Daily Star}} By 2005, he had privatized 26 state owned enterprises and planned to privatize 16 more.{{Cite web |title=16 SoEs to be privatised in six months |url=https://archive.thedailystar.net/2005/12/30/d51230050453.htm |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Daily Star}} He held road shows in Dubai, Karachi, Kualalampur, and Mumbai in an attempt to sell the state-owned Rupali Bank.{{Cite web |title=Rupali Bank's Privatisation Process |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2006/03/05/news.htm |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=Star Weekend Magazine}} He supported the elections held by chief advisor Latifur Rahman which returned the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to power. He was the convenor of Foreign Affairs Committee of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.{{Cite news |date=19 December 2018 |title=BNP's Enam Ahmed joins Awami League |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/election/163883/bnp%E2%80%99s-enam-ahmed-joins-awami-league |access-date=11 September 2024 |work=Dhaka Tribune}} On 18 July 2006, his supporters and supporters of Syed Makbul Hossain, member of parliament, clashed resulting in the death of one Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activist.{{Cite web |title=JCD man killed, 40 hurt in Sylhet BNP factional clash |url=https://archive.thedailystar.net/2006/07/18/d6071801033.htm |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Daily Star}}
In 2007, Chowdhury was a delegate of a conference on Champaran Satyagraha organized by the Indian National Congress.{{Cite book |last=Sharma |first=Anand |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-4k_iFPcrvcC&dq=%22Enam+Ahmed+Choudhury%22&pg=PA303 |title=Gandhian Way: Peace, Non-violence, and Empowerment |date=2007 |publisher=Academic Foundation |isbn=978-81-7188-648-7 |publication-date=2007 |pages=303 |language=en}} Other delegates from Bangladesh included Muhammad Yunus, Dipu Moni, and Reaz Rahman. During the Fakruddin Ahmed led caretaker government he had sided with Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan led reform faction of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.{{Cite web |last=Suman |first=Rakib Hasnet |date=30 October 2009 |title=BNP advisers feel ignored in party reorganisation |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-112063 |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}}
Chowdhury was elected president of Commonwealth Society of Bangladesh in 2010.{{Cite web |last=Unb |first=Dhaka |date=14 July 2010 |title=Enam Chy, Enamul elected C'wealth Society president, secy general |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-146693 |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}} He was elected to the advisory council of the chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.{{Cite web |date=2 January 2010 |title=Delwar stays secy general |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-120112 |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}} He called for foreign treaties to be ratified in parliament at an event at the Jatiya Press Club organized by Shujan.{{Cite web |date=12 February 2010 |title='Make MPs' Code of Conduct bill a law' |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-125989 |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}} He was the managing director of Dahmashi Tours and Travels, local partner of Air Asia.{{Cite web |last=Parvez |first=Sohel |date=21 January 2009 |title=Two more airlines home in on Dhaka skies |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-72259 |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}} He spoke in favor of a caretaker government system for holding elections at an event of Sushasaner Jonno Nagorik along with other members of the civil society of Bangladesh such as Ajoy Roy, Asif Nazrul, A. S. M. Shahjahan, Badiul Alam Mazumder, Emaz Uddin Ahmed, Kazi Ebadul Haque, Moniruzzaman Mia, Muzaffer Ahmad, Subhash Singha Roy, and Syed Abul Maqsood.{{Cite web |date=27 May 2011 |title=Civil society favours caretaker govt system |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-187424 |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}}
Chowdhury met with Marcia Bernicat, the United States ambassador to Bangladesh, along with a delegation of Bangladesh Nationalist Party in May 2016 along with Abdul Moeen Khan.{{Cite web |last=Report |first=Star Online |date=16 May 2016 |title=BNP delegation meets Bernicat |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/politics/bnp-delegation-meets-bernicat-1224706 |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}}
In 2018, Chowdhury joined the Awami League and presented flowers to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Ganabhaban. He resigned from the post of vice-chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and advisor to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.{{Cite web |date=21 February 2015 |title=Khaleda offers munajat for language martyrs |url=https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/Khaleda-offers-munajat-for-language-martyrs |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=Prothomalo |language=en}} He had sought the nomination of Bangladesh Nationalist Party from Sylhet-1 for the 11th Jatiya Sangsad election but the party had chosen to nominate Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, advisor to Khaleda Zia.{{Cite web |date=8 April 2023 |title=BNP chairperson's adviser Muktadir released 3 hours after arrest |url=https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/politics/pwxk932jcy |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=Prothom Alo |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Enam Ahmed Chy made Awami League advisor {{!}} banglatribune.com |url=https://en.banglatribune.com/politics/news/58557/Enam-Ahmed-Chy-made-Awami-League-advisor |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=Bangla Tribune |language=en}} He was appointed advisor to the Awami League. Sheikh Hasina would later claim Chowdhury and Morshed Khan were denied the nomination by Bangladesh Nationalist Party for not providing kickbacks to Tarique Rahman.{{Cite web |title=Countrymen have no alternative to boat: PM {{!}} News Flash |url=https://www.bssnews.net/news-flash/68171 |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=BSS}}{{Cite web |last=Report |first=Star |date=24 June 2022 |title='With no courage to return, how can he lead?' |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/no-courage-return-how-can-he-lead-3054991 |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}}
In December 2020, Chowdhury was elected chairman of the board of trustees of Impact Foundation Bangladesh.{{Cite web |date=6 December 2022 |title=Enam Ahmed new chairman of Impact Foundation Bangladesh |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/business/organisation-news/press-releases/news/enam-ahmed-new-chairman-impact-foundation-bangladesh-3188816 |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}} In October 2023, he met a United States Pre-Election Assessment Team along with Muhammad Faruk Khan, Shammi Ahmed, and others.{{Cite web |title=US pre-election assessment team holds talks with AL leaders - - observerbd.com |url=https://www.observerbd.com/news.php?id=441422 |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Daily Observer}}
Personal life and death
Chowdhury's parents were Ghyasuddin Ahmed Chowdhury and Rafiqunnesa Khatun Chowdhury.{{Cite web |date=19 March 2012 |title=Diplomat Masum Chy passes away |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-226892 |access-date=27 August 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}} Chowdhury's brothers were Faruq Ahmed Choudhury, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and Masum Ahmed Chowdhury.{{Cite news |date=18 May 2017 |title=Faruq Ahmed Choudhury passes away |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/faruk-ahmed-passes-away-1406893 |access-date=2 December 2021 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} He had two sisters, Nasim Hai who was married to the late Syed Abdul Hai and Nina Ahmed who is married to Fakhruddin Ahmed.{{Cite web |date=17 May 2017 |title=Former foreign secretary of Bangladesh Faruq Ahmed Choudhury passes away |url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/former-foreign-secretary-of-bangladesh-faruq-ahmed-choudhury-passes-away |access-date=27 August 2024 |website=Bdnews24.com |language=en}} His cousins are Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury.
Chowdhury died from a cardiac arrest on 3 February 2025, at the age of 87.{{cite news |title=Enam Ahmed Chowdhury passes away |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/372710/enam-ahmed-chowdhury-passes-away |access-date=3 February 2025 |publisher=Dhaka Tribune |date=3 February 2025}}
Bibliography
- Chiranjeeb Zia{{Cite web |title=What will be Enam A Chowdhury's next authorial venture? {{!}} The Asian Age Online, Bangladesh |url=https://dailyasianage.com/news/155008/what-will-be-enam-a-chowdhurys-next-authorial-venture |access-date=11 September 2024 |website=The Asian Age |language=en}}
- Ziaur Rahman O Bangladeshi Jatiyatabad
- Aposhheen Netri Begum Khaleda Zia O Bangladesher Ogrojatra