Tamim Chowdhury
Bangladeshi-Canadian terrorist (1986–2016)
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Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury (Bengali: তামিম আহমেদ চৌধুরী; 25 July 1986 – 27 August 2016), known by his kunya Abu Dujanah al-Bengali (Bengali: আবু দুজানাহ আল-বাঙালি), was a Bangladeshi-Canadian Islamist militant that was the head of military and covert operations of the Islamic State's Bengal Province.[1] For a while, he was alleged to be the emir of the Islamic State's Bengal Province, Shaykh Abu Ibrahim al-Hanif. He was the alleged mastermind of the July 2016 Dhaka attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery, which resulted in 29 deaths. He was killed in a raid on an IS safehouse in Dhaka by Bangladeshi forces on 27 August 2016.[2]
তামিম আহমেদ চৌধুরী
25 July 1986
Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury | |
|---|---|
তামিম আহমেদ চৌধুরী | |
Chowdhury in 2006 | |
| Head of military operations of Islamic State – Bengal Province | |
| In office 2016 – 27 August 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office de-established |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury তামিম আহমেদ চৌধুরী 25 July 1986 |
| Died | 27 August 2016 (aged 30) |
| Occupation | Head of military operations of Islamic State – Bengal Province |
| Nickname | Abu Dujanah al-Bengali |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Islamic State (2012 – 2016) |
| Rank | Head of military and covert operations |
| Battles/wars | Terrorism in Bangladesh † |
Early life and education
He was born on 25 July 1986 in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Chowdhury was formerly a resident of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He attended J.L. Forster Secondary School in Windsor. He competed for the school in a variety of track and field activities in 2004. He graduated from the University of Windsor in Spring 2011, with an honours degree in chemistry.[3]
Amarnath Amarasingam, Post-Doctoral Fellow with the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University, said of Chowdhury's time in Windsor, "There were a few [people] who knew him from the mosque and from the social circles" and "He was a shy, skinny kid."[4] A spokesperson for the Windsor Islamic Association (WIA) commented, "We can confirm that Tamim Chowdhury was from Windsor, though he was not a well-known individual in the community."[5][6][7][8][9]
Islamic State
He may have travelled to Syria at some point in 2012–13. He returned to Bangladesh sometime afterwards.[10] He was described as the "prime architect" and "one of the masterminds" of the July 2016 Dhaka attack.[11][12] On 2 August 2016, it was reported that the Bangladeshi police had offered a reward of 200,000 Bangladeshi taka ($2,500) for information leading to his capture.[13]
Three militants, including Chowdhury, were killed during a joint forces raid at a house in Narayanganj Sadar Upazila on 27 August 2016. Monirul Islam, chief of Dhaka Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism unit, confirmed his death in an announcement reported in the Bangladeshi newspaper.[14][15]