Khoda Baksh Chowdhury

Inspector General of Police (Retd.)
Khoda Baksh Chowdhury
খোদা বকশ চৌধুরী
Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Ministry of Home Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 November 2024
Chief AdviserMuhammad Yunus
23rd Inspector General of Bangladesh Police
In office
2 November 2006 – 29 January 2007
PresidentIajuddin Ahmed
Prime Minister
Preceded byAnwarul Iqbal
Succeeded byNur Mohammad
3rd Director General of Rapid Action Battalion
In office
31 October 2006 – 2 November 2006
PresidentIajuddin Ahmed
Prime MinisterIajuddin Ahmed (acting)
Preceded byAbdul Aziz Sarkar
Succeeded bySM Mizanur Rahman
4th Chief Executive of Criminal Investigation Department
In office
9 January 2006 – 1 November 2006
Appointed byMinister of Home Affairs
Preceded byMd. Amjad Hossain
Succeeded bySM Mizanur Rahman
Personal details
Born (1952-08-15) 15 August 1952 (age 72)
Chittagong, East Bengal, Pakistan
NationalityBangladeshi
Alma materUniversity of Dhaka
Bangladesh Police Academy
Awards
  • Bangladesh Police Medal (BPM)
  • President Police Medal (PPM)
Police career
UnitDhaka Metropolitan Police
Allegiance Bangladesh
DepartmentCriminal Investigation Department
Branch Bangladesh Police
Service years1979 - 2009
StatusRetired
RankIGP Rank Badge IGP

Khuda Baksh Chowdhury (born 15 August 1952)[1] is a former Inspector General of Police of Bangladesh Police[2] and Special Assistant (status equivalent to a Minister of State) to the Chief Adviser of the Interim government of Bangladesh.[3][4]

He also served as the Senior Police Advisor in UNAMA from June 2008 to April 2010.[5] He is a former Director General of Rapid Action Battalion, an elite paramilitary unit.

Education

Chowdhury obtained B.A. (Hons.) in Political Science (enrolled in 1969) and M.A. in Public Administration from University of Dhaka.[6][7] He was a freedom fighter during the 1971 Liberation War.[8]

Career

Chowdhury joined the Bangladesh Police in 1979.[1]

Chowdhury joined U.N. Administrative Mission UNTAES (United Nations Administration in Eastern Slavonia; part of Croatia now) on May 1996 and served the Mission first as Deputy Sector Chief and later Sector Chief of one of the two Sectors of the Mission. Few years later he joined UNMIBH (United Nations Mission in Bosnia Herzegovina), a Monitoring Mission, at Sarajevo on August 1999 and worked in the Mission as Deputy Regional Commander and Regional Commander, Sarajevo IPTF Region among a group of International Civilian Police Officers.[8] In 2001, he as a superintendent of police, he would be promoted to Inspector General in five years superseding many officers senior than him.[9]

Chowdhury was posted to CID as Additional IGP on January 9, 2006.[10] Chowdhury served as the president of Bangladesh Police Service Association (BPSA) in 2006.[1] On 31 October 2006, he was appointed as the DG of Rapid Action Battalion.[10] 2 days later, he was promoted to Inspector General of Police of Bangladesh Police by replacing Anwarul Iqbal.[11] He was posted as O.S.D. in January 2007 after successor neutral Fakhruddin Ahmed led Caretaker Government took office and retired voluntarily in July 2009.[12]

Chowdhury worked as Senior Police Advisor, UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan), as a UN Staff member from June 2008 to April 2010. He was elected as the 1st Chair of Senior Police Advisory Group (SPAG) of International Police Coordination Board (IPCB).[5] On completion of the tenure, UNDP Afghanistan contracted him as an International Consultant.

On 10 November 2024, Chowdhury was appointed as the Special Assistant (status equivalent to a Minister of State) to the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh.[13] He was given executive power over Ministry of Home Affairs. [14][15]

Controversies

2004 Dhaka grenade attack case

In 2007, after the military-backed government assumed office, fresh investigation into the case was launched on the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack.[16][17]

In July 2008, on completion of investigation CID prosecuted 22 accused and trial began. After Awami League formed government in 2009, prosecution filed a petition to launch further investigation into the incident in June 2009. In July 2011, 23 months after further investigation, CID submitted a supplementary chargesheet where Chowdhury, along with two other former inspectors general, was implicated. He appeared before the Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court and the Judge rejected bail prayer.[16][17]

As Trial of the case resumed, Chowdhury was charged under Section 218 (creating false document) and Section 330 (extorting confession) of Bangladesh Penal Code and granted bail.[18]

Chowdhury was convicted in October 2018 by a Dhaka lower court but High Court stayed the conviction and granted bail in January 2019. [19]

On 1 December 2024, he was acquitted by high court in August 21 grenade attack cases.[20][21]

References

  1. ^ a b c "BPSA new committee: Adl DIG Khoda Baksh president, SP Bakhtiar GS". bdnews24.com. 2006-01-06. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  2. ^ Ahmed, Anis (2007-01-21). "Bangladesh widens crackdown on crime ahead of poll". U.S. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  3. ^ "CA appoints 3 new special assistants with state ministerial rank". The Daily Star. 11 November 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-11-12.
  4. ^ "3 special assistants appointed to ministries of home affairs, health and education". The Business Standard. 11 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b Yumpu.com. "EUPOL - Serving Afghanistan". yumpu.com. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  6. ^ "DU'69 Batch EC members' get-together held". greenwatchbd.com. 2017-04-27. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  7. ^ ntv.com. "DU'69 Batch EC members' get-together held". NTV Online. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  8. ^ a b আহমদ, মহিউদ্দিন (2023). ১৯৭১ ভারতের বাংলাদেশ যুদ্ধ (in Bengali). প্রথমা প্রকাশন. p. 454. ISBN 9789849755425.
  9. ^ "Police admin remains politicised as before". The Daily Star. 9 January 2007. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  10. ^ a b "Major shakeup in police admin : Changes in army too; Maj Gen Manirul made new SSF chief". The Daily Star. 2007-01-30. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  11. ^ "IGP, new DG RAB removed in another police shuffle". 2006-11-01. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  12. ^ "সাবেক আইজিপি খোদা বখসের অবসর অনুমোদন". bdnews24.com (in Bengali).
  13. ^ "Three appointed special assistants to chief advisor with ministerial rank". bdnews24.com. 11 November 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-11-12.
  14. ^ "অন্তর্বর্তীকালীন সরকারের প্রধান উপদেষ্টা কর্তৃক বর্ণিত ব্যক্তিবর্গকে প্রতিমন্ত্রীর পদমর্যাদায় বিশেষ সহকারী হিসেবে নিয়োগদান" (PDF). Cabinet Division, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh (in Bengali). 2024-11-10.
  15. ^ "CA appoints three special assistants to aid home, health, education advisers". Prothomalo. 2024-11-11.
  16. ^ a b "Tarique not returning". The Daily Star. 2011-07-05. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  17. ^ a b "3 former police chiefs land in jail". 2011-07-04. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  18. ^ "5 former top cops out on bail". The Daily Star. 2012-04-11. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  19. ^ "August 21 attack: 'State-backed crime' punished". The Daily Star. 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  20. ^ "Tarique, Babar, others acquitted in Aug 21 grenade attack cases". The Daily Star. 1 December 2024.
  21. ^ "Tarique Rahman, all other accused acquitted in Aug 21 grenade attack case". The Daily Observer. 1 December 2024.