Former president Badruddoza Chowdhury passes away

Former president Professor AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, popularly known as B Chowdhury, passed away in the early hours of Saturday (5 October). He was 93.

The former president breathed his last at the Medical College for Women in Uttara at 3:10am, said Jahangir Alam, press secretary of the former president, in a statement today.

B Chowdhury was admitted to Medical College for Women and Hospital in Uttara on the morning of 2 October due to a lung infection. That day B Chowdhury's daughter Dr Shayla Chowdhury said her father was already suffering from ischemic heart disease, according to the statement.

He is survived by his wife, one son, two daughters, and a host of relatives and well-wishers.

B Chowdhury will be buried at his family graveyard at Majidpur Dayhata in Munshiganj on Sunday, said his press secretary Jahangir Alam, reports UNB.

His first namaz-e-janaza was held at Uttara Women's Medical College and Hospital premises at 8:00 am on Saturday.

The second janaza will be held at Baitul Atik Jame Mosque at Baridhara on Road 8 after Zohr prayers, the third one at Munshiganj stadium at 10 am on Sunday and the fourth one at his village home Majidpur Dayhata after Zohr prayers.

Born in Cumilla in 1930, Badruddoza Chowdhury was set to turn 94 next week on 11 October. He began his career in the health sector as an associate professor of medicine at the Rajshahi Medical College in 1964 and later at Sir Salimullah Medical College from 1964 to 1970. He also served as a professor of medicine at Sylhet Medical College in 1970.

His vast political career began in 1978 when he joined the BNP at the request of Ziaur Rahman, founder of the party and sixth president of Bangladesh. The following year he was elected as a member of parliament from Munshiganj in the second Jatiya Sangsad election.

He served as the deputy prime minister for a few months till August 1979 and later served as a cabinet minister till 1982. In 1991, he was again elected as MP and served as the deputy house leader in the Jatiya Sangsad.

In 2001, when BNP came to power once again, Chowdhury was appointed as the foreign minister. Later, in November of that year, he was elected the president of Bangladesh. He, however, resigned from the post on 21 June 2002, due to political reasons.

He later left the BNP and founded Bikalpa Dhara in 2004.

B Chowdhury's father, Kafiluddin Chowdhury, was the general secretary of the United Front serving as a minister in the United Front provincial cabinet of the then East Pakistan and an Awami League leader.

Hailing from Munshiganj, Badruddoza completed his MBBS degree from the Dhaka Medical College. In his personal life, he is the husband of Hasina Warda Chowdhury, and father of three children - elder daughter lawyer Muna Chowdhury, younger daughter Shayla Chowdhury and son Mahi B Chowdhury, who is a politician and former MP.