Habibullah Bahar Chowdhury

Habibullah Bahar Chowdhury (1906 – 15 April 1966) was a Pakistani politician, journalist, sportsman and writer from erstwhile East Bengal, now Bangladesh, who served in the political spheres of British India and Pakistan.[1]

Habibullah Bahar Chowdhury
হবীবুল্লাহ বাহার চৌধুরী
حبیب اللہ بہار چوہدری
Health Minister of East Pakistan Provincial Assembly
In office
1947–1950s
Preceded byPosition created
Personal details
Born1906
Feni, Eastern Bengal and Assam, British India
Died15 April 1966(1966-04-15) (aged 59–60)
Pakistan
SpouseAnwara Bahar Chowdhury
Children
Relatives
OccupationPolitician, writer

Early life and education

edit

Chowdhury was born at Guthuma village in Feni district in 1906. His father, Mohammad Nurullah, was a munsiff.[2] He passed Matriculation in 1922 from Chittagong Municipal School and ISc from Chittagong College in 1924. He then graduated from Calcutta Islamia College in 1928.[1]

Career

edit

In 1933, Chowdhury took up journalism and along with his sister, Shamsunnahar Mahmud, published the literary journal "Bulbul".[3] Chowdhury actively joined politics as an activist of the Bengal Provincial Muslim League, and was elected a member of its executive committee in 1937. In 1944, he was elected publicity secretary of the League. He was elected a member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly from the Parshuram constituency of Feni district.[1] He was the health minister of the first Muslim League cabinet in East Pakistan.[1]

Works

edit

After suffering a stroke, he resigned from the cabinet position in 1953. Chowdhury started writing books prior to 1947 partition. His works include "Pakistan", "Mohammad Ali Jinnah", "Omar Faruq", and "Ameer Ali".[1]

Personal life

edit

Chowdhury was married to Anwara Bahar Chowdhury (1919–1987). Anwara was a social activist and writer. She established Habibullah Bahar College in 1969 after Chowdhury's name.[4] Together they had 4 daughters – Selina Bahar Zaman, Shaheen Westcombe, Nasreen Shams and Tazeen Chowdhury and one son - Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury.[5] Chowdhury's grandfather, Khan Bahadur Abdul Aziz, an educationist, had a close relationship with poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.[6]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e Rafiqul Akbar (2012). "Chowdhury, Habibullah Bahar". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  2. ^ AKM Saifuzzaman (2012). "Mahmud, Shamsunnahar". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  3. ^ ""Nirbachito Bulbul" Inaugurated in Kolkata". Voice of America. 26 November 2005. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  4. ^ "Remembrance : Anwara Bahar Choudhury : Educationist, Writer and Cultural Activist". The Daily Star. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  5. ^ "The art of recitation: Then and now". The Daily Star. 3 March 2008. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  6. ^ "Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury's recitation evening today". The Daily Star. 6 May 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2016.