Abul Harris Chowdhury (1 November 1952 – 3 September 2021) was a Bangladeshi and politician who served as the Political Secretary of Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. He was the Joint Secretary General of Bangladesh Nationalist Party.[1][2][3] Chowdhury was sentenced to 65 years in total and a life term in prison in absentia for allegedly committing multiple crimes.[4] His party alleges the charges were falsely given, along with those against Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman,[5] and many other senior party members.[6]
Career
Chowdhury was nominated to contest in National Parliamentary Election since 1977. He was Founder General Secretary and Divisional Organizing Secretary of Sylhet District unit BNP and Joint Secretary General of BNP's Central Committee. President Ziaur Rahman gave him the responsibility of organizing the youth- he was the Founder Vice President of BNP's youth wing. He served as Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia's political secretary. He worked closely and for a long time with two state and government heads i.e. President Ziaur Rahman and Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.[7] He served as the political secretary of the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia from 2001 to 2006.[8]
Charges and convictions
Chowdhury had been a fugitive since the military-backed interim caretaker government took power on 11 January 2007. Later that year, Chowdhury was charged by the caretaker government of acquiring his wealth through corruption.[9][10] In October, he was sentenced to three years in jail by a special anti-corruption tribunal for illegally possessing foreign currency.[11][12] In November, a Dhaka court sentenced him to 59 years in jail and fined him Tk 21 lakh on five counts of charges, including abuse of power and government-transport mishandling.[13]
He was charged with involvement in the murder of former finance minister, Shah A M S Kibria, in 2005.[14] In November 2014, a supplementary charge-sheet was submitted accusing 35 people including Chowdhury.[15] Chowdhury was also charged with Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.[15]
Chowdhury was charged with involvement in the 15 August 2004 Dhaka grenade attack.[15] In December 2014, an arrest warrant was issued against him.[16] In February 2016, his properties were confiscated by the directives of Bangladesh High Court.[17] In October 2018, a special court found Chowdhury and 37 others guilty in the grenade attack case. He was sentenced to life term in prison and fined Tk 50,000.[18]Interpol Red Notice had been served on him in November 2015.[19] According to CID and police headquarters sources, as of October 2018, Chowdhury was moving through Malaysia, London, Singapore, the United States and India.[19][dubious – discuss]
Chowdhury's family also refers to the allegations and charges against him along with the convictions he received to be simply political and part of the political culture of the country[7] An investigative report by veteran journalist Matiur Rahman Chowdhury published in Manab Zamin following Chowdhury's death confirms that he had in fact never fled the country.[20]
Personal life and death
Chowdhury is married to Josne Ara Chowdhury.[9] They have a son, Nayem Shafi Chowdhury, and a daughter, Samira Tanzin Chowdhury.[20] He has a younger brother, Selim Chowdhury, and an elder sister, Akhlasun Nahar.[9]
On 12 January 2022, Chowdhury's cousin announced in a Facebook post that Chowdhury had died from COVID-19 complications in London, United Kingdom, in September 2021, and was buried at the same location [dubious – discuss].[21][22] While his cousin's announcement was widely reported, other controversial sources often criticised for spreading disinformation reported that Chowdhury had not died.[23][24]
Nonetheless, drawing a conclusion to all politically motivated controversies surrounding the matter, His daughter Samira Tanzin Chowdhury revealed to the media and confirmed particularly in an investigative report by acclaimed journalist Matiur Rahman Chowdhury the Editor in Chief of the Manab Zamin that Harris Chowdhury in fact passed away in Evercare Hospital, Dhaka never having fled the country.[20]
