Former President and veteran politician Dr AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury passed away at a hospital in the capital early Saturday. He was 94.
B Chowdhury, who was admitted to Uttara Women’s Medical College Hospital on Wednesday with lung infection, breathed his last there around 3:15 am, said his daughter Dr Shayla Chowdhury.
He is survived by his wife, one son, two daughters, and a host of relatives and well-wishers.
B Chowdhury, a prominent physician and the founding secretary-general of the BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party), was born on 11 October, 1930, in Cumilla city (the famous "Munshif Bari") at his maternal grandparents' house.
His father Kafil Uddin Chowdhury was the co-chairman of the Krishak Praja Party, general secretary of the United Front, and a member of the then provincial cabinet of East Pakistan.
His ancestral home is in Majidpur Dayahata village, Srinagar upazila of Munshiganj.
B Chowdhury completed his matriculation in the first division from the famous St. Gregory's School in Dhaka in 1947 and passed the ISC in the first division from Dhaka College in 1949. He earned his MBBS degree from Dhaka Medical College in 1954-55. He was on the merit list in all examinations.
He was a fellow of the three Royal Colleges of Physicians in the United Kingdom: London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow (F.R.C.P) and an honored F.C.P.S. in Bangladesh.
A successful parliamentarian, B Chowdhury delivered speeches at the United Nations three times. He was a recipient of the Independence Award and the author of many books.
B Chowdhury entered politics at the request of former President Ziaur Rahman in 1978. He was first elected as a Member of Parliament from Srinagar, Munshiganj, in 1979 and served as a cabinet minister.
He was re-elected as a Member of Parliament in 1991 and initially served as Minister of Education and later as Deputy Leader of Parliament. In 1996, he served as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. He was re-elected as a Member of Parliament in 2001 and served as the Foreign Affairs Minister of the BNP government from October to November of that year.
Professor Badruddoza Chowdhury was elected President of Bangladesh on 14 November, 2001. He resigned from the presidency on June 21, 2002.
On May 8, 2004, B Chowdhury founded a political party named Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh. He was serving as the party's president.
His elder daughter, Moona Chowdhury, is a barrister by profession. His younger daughter, Shayla Chowdhury, is a physician and teache at Dhaka’s Uttara Women’s Medical College. His only son, Mahi B Chowdhury, is a politician and media personality.
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on condoled the death of AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury.
He said the nation has lost a distinguished public servant and a respected politician.
"I pray for the departed soul. May Allah grant him a beautiful place in Jannatul Ferdows," the chief adviser said in a condolence message.
In the message, he recalled Badruddoza Chowdhury’s long and widely respected career as a physician and a public servant.
Dr Badruddoza spread the message of well-being and sound health as an eminent doctor of the country. His Apnar Doctor programme at BTV was a must-watch show for millions of viewers, he said.
