Rezaul Karim Chowdhury
{{Short description|Bangladeshi politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| honorific-suffix =
| name = Rezaul Karim Choudhury
| image = File:Rezaul Karim Chowdhury.jpeg
| native_name = রেজাউল করিম চৌধুরী
| native_name_lang = Ban
| order = 6th
| office = Mayor of Chittagong
| deputy =
| termstart = 15 February 2021
| termend = 19 August 2024
| predecessor = {{ubl|Khorshed Alam Sujon|{{Small|as Administrator}}}}
| successor = {{ubl|Md. Tofayel Islam|{{Small|as Administrator}}}}
| nationality = Bangladeshi
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1953|5|31}}
| party =
| birth_place = Chittagong, East Bengal, Pakistan
| alma_mater = University of Chittagong
| profession = Businessman, politician
| spouse = Selina Akter
| children = 3
| residence = Bahaddarbari, Bahaddarhat
| serviceyears = 1971
| branch = 25px
| battles = Bangladesh Liberation War
| module = Criminal information{{Infobox criminal
|child = yes
| conviction_status = Fugitive
|criminal_charge = Crimes against humanity during Student–People's uprising, Murder and Corruption
}}
}}
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury ({{langx|bn|রেজাউল করিম চৌধুরী}}; born 31 May 1953){{Cite news |url=http://www.theindependentbd.com/post/258781 |access-date=2021-02-12 |date=2021-01-28 |title=Life sketch of CCC mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury |work=The Independent |location=Dhaka |agency=BSS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413172808/http://www.theindependentbd.com/post/258781 |archive-date=2021-04-13}} is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the 6th mayor of Chattogram. He is also the joint general secretary of Chattogram Mahanagar Awami League.{{Cite news |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2021/01/28/rezaul-karim-elected-chittagong-city-mayor |title=Rezaul Karim Elected Chittagong City Mayor |date=January 28, 2021 |work=Dhaka Tribune}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.newagebd.net/article/128547/als-rezaul-karim-chowdhury-wins-ccc-mayoral-polls |title=Rezaul Karim Chowdhury wins CCC Mayoral polls |date=January 28, 2021 |work=New Age}} He was elected mayor in 2021 and removed in 2024 after a district court found evidence of election rigging.
Early life and education
Chowdhury was born on 31 May 1953 in East Sholashahar ward 7 in Chittagong. He studied at East Sholashahar Primary School. He completed his S. S. C. from Government Muslim High School and H. S. C. from Chittagong College. He has a B.A. from the University of Chittagong.
Career
Chowdhury was the president of Bangladesh Chhatra League unit from 1972 to 1976. From 1976 to 1978, he was the general secretary of the North Chittagong District unit of the Bangladesh Chhatra League.
Chowdhury worked in the Chittagong City unit of the Awami League from 1997 to 2006 as the information and research secretary. He then became the organising secretary of the city unit; a position he held till 2014 when he became the joint general secretary.
Chowdhury was nominated by Awami League to contest the Chittagong City elections in 2020.{{Cite news |date=2020-02-16 |title=Rezaul Karim to contest Chattogram city polls with boat symbol; Shafiul from Dhaka-10 |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/politics/news/rezaul-karim-contest-chattogram-city-polls-boat-symbol-shafiul-dhaka-10-1868617 |access-date=2021-04-27 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} The party did not nominate the incumbent and Awami League politician AJM Nasir Uddin on instructions from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Chittagong city Awami League was divided into two fractions; led by A J M Nasir Uddin and the family of ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury. Chowdhury got the nomination by not being involved in either fraction.{{Cite news |date=2020-02-17 |title=Feuding Al Factions in Ctg: 'Go alone' policy got Rezaul ticket |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/feuding-al-factions-ctg-go-alone-policy-got-rezaul-ticket-1869055 |access-date=2021-04-27 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}} He went on to win the election receiving 369,000 votes while his nearest rival from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party received 52,000 votes in a rigged election.{{Cite news |date=2021-02-11 |title='Voters trusted my manifesto' |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/voters-trusted-my-manifesto-2042909 |access-date=2021-04-27 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2024-10-01 |title=Court declares BNP leader Shahadat Hossain Chattogram mayor |url=https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/local-news/ce61isz6js |access-date=2024-11-08 |work=Prothom Alo |language=en}} He received the status of state minister on 7 August 2022.{{Cite news |date=2022-08-08 |title=Dhaka city mayors to get status of minister |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/dhaka-city-mayors-get-status-minister-473666 |access-date=2022-08-08 |work=The Business Standard |language=en}} Later in 2024, the court found evidence of election rigging for the election.
He abandoned his position and did not appear at his office after the fall of the Awami Legaue government amid the 2024 student-people's uprising. The interim government removed the mayor on 19 August and appointed Chattogram divisional commissioner Md Tofael Hossain as administrator.
Personal life
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowdhury, Rezaul Karim}}
Category:Politicians from Chittagong
Category:Chittagong College alumni