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Matia Chowdhury

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Matia Chowdhury
মতিয়া চৌধুরী
Chowdhury in 2013
Minister of Agriculture
In office
6 January 2009 – 7 January 2019
Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina
Preceded byIqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku
Succeeded byMohammad Abdur Razzaque
Member of Parliament
for Sherpur-2
In office
25 January 2009 – 6 August 2024
Preceded byZahed Ali
In office
5 March 1991 – 13 July 2001
Preceded byAbdus Salam
Succeeded byZahed Ali
Presidium Member of Bangladesh Awami League
In office
21 December 2021 – 16 October 2024
Personal details
Born(1942-06-30)30 June 1942
Nazirpur, Pirojpur District, Bengal Province, British India
Died16 October 2024(2024-10-16) (aged 82)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
NationalityBangladeshi
Political partyBangladesh Awami League
SpouseBazlur Rahman
EducationUniversity of Dhaka
OccupationPolitician

Matia Chowdhury (Bengali: মতিয়া চৌধুরী, romanized: Matiẏā caudhurī; 30 June 1942 – 16 October 2024)[1] was a Bangladeshi politician. She served as a Deputy Leader of the House,[2] and a former Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Sherpur-2 constituency during 2009–2024.[3] She was the Minister of Agriculture under the first, second and third premiership of Sheikh Hasina,[4][5] from 1996 to 2001 and then again on 2009 to 2019 during the previous tenures of Bangladesh Awami League in power.[6] She is known as a veteran politician from the Awami League, and recently a presidium member of the party.[7]

Early life and education

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Chowdhury was born on 30 June 1942 at Nazirpur of Pirojpur District. Her father, Mohiuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, was a police officer. She passed HSC from Dhaka Eden College. She later graduated from University of Dhaka.[8]

Career

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Chowdhury started her political career from her student life. She actively participated in the movement against the Ayub regime and the movement against the Education Commission of 1962. She was elected the Vice-President of Dhaka Eden Girls College Students’ Union in 1963 and the General Secretary of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) in 1964–65. Matia's boldness, leadership, and courage shine through her frontline participation in various movements, protests, and especially during the liberation war. Her fiery speeches and unwavering attitude have earned her the nickname Ogni Konna or Girl of Fire.[9][10] Although she started her political career with the left-wing National Awami Party, she is now one of the most senior leaders of the Awami League.[11][12] She was the president of the then East Pakistan Students’ Union in 1965–66. Between 1967 and 1969 time and again she was organizing anti Ayub movement and was detained in jail for about 2 years. She was released from jail during the mass upsurge of 1969.[13]

Chowdhury was elected to parliament from Sherpur-2 as a candidate of the Awami League in 1991.[14] She received 47,886 votes while her nearest rival, independent candidate professor Abdus Salam, received 34,644 votes.[14]

Chowdhury was elected to parliament from Sherpur-2 as a candidate of the Awami League in 1996.[14] She received 63,574 votes while her nearest rival, Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate Jahed Ali Chowdhury, received 45,659 votes.[14]

Chowdhury lost the 2001 election to Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate Zahed Ali Chowdhury.[14] She received 99,661 votes while Zahed received 102,545 votes.[14]

Chowdhury was elected to parliament from Sherpur-2 as a candidate of the Awami League in 2008.[15] She received 156,973 votes while her nearest rival, Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate Jahed Ali Chowdhury, received 75,637 votes.[15] She criticized World Bank for releasing fund too slowly.[16] In June 2010, she criticized Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics for providing wrong statistics on rice production.[17] In September 2012, the International Crimes Tribunal-2 sought an explanation from her after Muhammad Kamaruzzaman filed a contempt of court complaint against her.[18] She had said in Sherpur that anyone speaking in defense of the accused war criminals would be resisted.[18]

Chowdhury was elected to parliament from Sherpur-2 as a candidate of the Awami League in 2014.[19] She received 134,810 votes while her nearest rival, independent candidate Badiuzzaman Badsha, received 35,986 votes.[19] As agriculture minister, she supported the introduction of GM corps in Bangladesh.[20] She was a proponent of Bt Brinjal viewing it as necessary for food security.[21]

Chowdhury was elected to parliament from Sherpur-2 as a candidate of the Awami League in 2018.[22] She received 300,442 votes while her nearest rival, Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate Fahim Chowdhury, received 7,652 votes.[22] As agriculture minister she provided 800 million BDT worth of seeds and fertilizer for free to small farmers.[23] In April 2018, protestors demanding quota reforms in Bangladesh Civil Service demanded she apologize for calling them Razzakars.[24] She placed the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) Bill, 2018 in parliament.[25] She was critical of the plan by the Ministry of Finance to place a tax on saving certificates.[26]

Chowdhury was elected to parliament from Sherpur-2 as a candidate of the Awami League in 2024.[27] She received 212,142 votes while her nearest rival, independent candidate Fahim Chowdhury, received 5,342 votes.[27] She was elected deputy leader of the Awami League Parliamentary Party.[28] She succeeded Sajeda Chowdhury as deputy leader.[29] She lost her parliamentary status after the parliament was dissolved following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina led Awami League government.[30]

Personal life

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Chowdhury was married to Bazlur Rahman, editor of The Sangbad, one of the oldest Bengali-language dailies still in circulation, who died on 26 February 2008.[31] She donated her inheritance from Bazlur Rahman to the Liberation War Museum to establish the Bazlur Rahman Award for reporting on the liberation war.[32]

Death

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Chowdhury died on 16 October 2024, while receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.[8] The Chief advisor did not approve an application for a plot at the Mirpur Martyred Intellectual Graveyard as a result she was buried on top of her husband's grave.[33] Although the Constitution of Bangladesh includes a provision for providing a guard of honor to the bodies of freedom fighters, despite being a freedom fighter, the office of the current Chief Adviser of the government does not provide a guard of honor.[33]

References

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  1. ^ "Member of Parliamant". Bangladesh Parliament. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Matia Chowdhury becomes deputy leader of parliament". Dhaka Tribune. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  3. ^ "List of 11th Parliament Members". Bangladesh Parliament. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  4. ^ "SAARC agricultural cooperation gets new momentum: Bangladesh Minister Matia". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  5. ^ "$4.8 million USAID grant to strengthen biotechnology partnership, food security in South". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  6. ^ "Hon'ble-Ministers". Cabinet Division - Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
  7. ^ "Motia Chowdhury queues to buy rice". e-Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 27 August 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  8. ^ a b "AL presidium member Matia Chowdhury dies". New Age (Bangladesh). 16 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  9. ^ লাগাম টেনে কথা বলবেন, বিশ্বব্যাংককে মতিয়া চৌধুরী [Talking about the twist, Matia Chowdhury told the World Bank]. Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  10. ^ "A BIOGRAPHY OF MATIA CHOWDHURY – ABIOGRAPHY". 10 September 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Reject pro-Pakistani line of thinking: HT Imam tells BNP". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  12. ^ "Prime minister, Awami League leaders pay homage to Bangabandhu". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  13. ^ "Press Information Department (PID), Government of Bangladesh". pressinform.portal.gov.bd. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  14. ^ a b c d e f "Parliament Election Result of 1991,1996,2001Bangladesh Election Information and Statistics". web.archive.org. 29 December 2008. Archived from the original on 29 December 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Bangladesh Parliament Election - Detail Results". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Matia slates WB over slow fund release". The Daily Star. 4 November 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Matia slams agency for wrong stats on agriculture". The Daily Star. 2 June 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Matia asked to explain by Sept 19". The Daily Star. 7 September 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Candidate Search Result | Election 2014 by Dhaka Tribune". Dhaka Tribune. 29 December 2013. Archived from the original on 29 December 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  20. ^ "GM crop cultivation to continue: Matia". The Daily Star. 21 August 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  21. ^ Colle, Royal D.; Michelsen, Heike; Engst, Elaine D.; Earle, Corey Ryan (15 May 2024). Beyond Borders: Exploring the History of Cornell's Global Dimensions. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-1-5017-7701-1.
  22. ^ a b "Sherpur-2 - Constituency detail of Bangladesh General Election 2018". The Daily Star. 25 November 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Farmers to get Tk 80cr incentive". The Daily Star. 8 October 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  24. ^ Report, Star Online (10 April 2018). "'Matia Chy must say sorry'". The Daily Star. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  25. ^ "BADC Bill 2018 placed in JS". The Daily Star. 19 June 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  26. ^ "Savings Certificates: Matia decries proposal for tax rise". The Daily Star. 21 June 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  27. ^ a b "Election 2024: Matia Chowdhury secures sixth win". Somoy TV. 7 January 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  28. ^ "AL picks Hasina as parliamentary party leader, Matia deputy leader". The Daily Star. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Matia Chowdhury likely to become deputy leader of House". The Daily Star. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  30. ^ "Bangladesh wakes up to new uncertain future after PM Sheikh Hasina's dramatic resignation". BBC News. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  31. ^ "Sangbad editor Bazlur Rahman dies". www.independent-bangladesh.com. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  32. ^ Ali, Sarwar (17 October 2024). "Remembering Matia Chowdhury: A distinguished life". The Daily Star. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  33. ^ a b "স্বামীর কবরে শায়িত মতিয়া চৌধুরী, পেলেন না মুক্তিযোদ্ধার অন্তিম সম্মান". Prothomalo (in Bengali). 17 October 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.


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