Masud Uddin Chowdhury
Bangladeshi politician
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Masud Uddin Chowdhury (Bengali: মাসুদ উদ্দিন চৌধুরী; born 30 June 1954) is a retired three star general of the Bangladesh Army and a politician of the Jatiya Party.[2][3] A former National Defence Force operative, Chowdhury served as former chief coordinator of the National Coordination Committee on Combating Corruption and Crime during the second Hasina ministry.[4]
Masud Uddin Chowdhury | |
|---|---|
Chowdhury in 2007 | |
| Member of the Bangladesh Parliament for Feni-3 | |
| In office 30 January 2019 – 6 August 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Rahim Ullah |
| Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces Division | |
| In office 5 June 2007 – 2 June 2008 | |
| President | Iajuddin Ahmed |
| Prime Minister | Fakhruddin Ahmed (acting) |
| Preceded by | Jahangir Alam Chowdhury |
| Succeeded by | Abdul Mubeen |
| Chief Coordinator Of the National Coordination Committee Against Corruption and Crime | |
| In office 2007–2008 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 June 1954 |
| Spouse | Jasmin Masud |
| Relatives | Sayeed Iskander (brother-in-law) |
| Education | M.D.S (NU), Postgraduation[1] |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Bangladesh |
| Branch/service |  Bangladesh ArmyJatiya Rakkhi Bahini |
Years of service | 1972–2008 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands |
|
| Battles/wars | Bangladesh Liberation War |
Early life
Chowdhury was born on 30 June 1954 to a Bengali family of Muslim Chowdhuries in the village of Sulakhali in Sonagazi, Feni, then part of the Noakhali district of East Bengal.[5]
Career
Chowdhury was an officer of the Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini and was made a Bangladesh Army officer after the Jatiya Rakhi Bahini was absorbed into the army.[6]
Chowdhury was appointed as chief of counter intelligence bureau of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence in 2003 by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party government.[6]
Chowdhury served as a principal staff officer of the Bangladesh Armed Forces Division.[7] He also served as the general officer commanding (GOC) of 9 Infantry Division and area commander of the Savar area and GOC 33 Infantry Division and area commander of the Comilla area.[8] In 2007, he was the chief coordinator of the National Coordination Committee on Combating Corruption and Crime during the caretaker government rule during the 2006–2008 Bangladeshi political crisis.[9][10] He attended the 10th Annual Asia-Pacific Chiefs of Defence conference in the United States.[11] Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, told United States diplomat Geeta Pasi that he was tortured on the orders of Chowdhury in military custody.[12] Pasi reported it was surprising, as Chowdhury was believed to have been close to Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party.[12]
In June 2007, Chowdhury was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed as the principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division. Later he served at the National Defence College.[6][3] Chowdhury was the high commissioner for Bangladesh to Australia from June 2008 to 2014.[13][14][15] He founded the Picasso restaurant in Dhaka.[8]
In 2017, Chowdhury filed a case under section-57 of the Information and Communication Technology Act, 2006 against Afsan Chowdhury.[8]
Chowdhury became the member of parliament for Feni-3 in 2018 and again in 2024 by Jatiya Party ticket with the support of Awami League.[16][17]
Chowdhury is the president of Baridhara Cosmopolitan Club Limited.[18] He was re-elected president of the club in 2018.[19]
Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, Chowdhury's home in Feni was burned down and vandalized in February 2025.[20]
Arrest
On 24 March 2026, Chowdhury was detained by police detectives in a late-night raid on his home in Dhaka led by Detective Branch Chief Shafiqul Islam.[21]
Personal life
Chowdhury's brother-in-law, Sayeed Iskander, was the brother of a former prime minister, Khaleda Zia.[8]