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 byAbdur Razzak
Member of the Bangladesh Parliament
Assumed office
25 January 2009
Preceded byZahed Ali
ConstituencySherpur-2
In office
5 March 1991 – 13 July 2001
Preceded byAbdus Salam
Succeeded byZahed Ali
Presidium Member of Bangladesh Awami League
Assumed office
21 December 2021
Personal details
Born (1942-06-30) 30 June 1942
Pirojpur, Bengal Presidency, British India
NationalityBritish Indian (1942–1947)
Pakistani (1947–1971)
Bangladeshi (1971–Present)
Political partyBangladesh Awami League
SpouseBazlur Rahman
EducationUniversity of Dhaka
OccupationPolitician

Matia Chowdhury (born 30 June 1942)[1] is a Bangladeshi politician serving as the incumbent Deputy Leader of the House,[2] and the incumbent Member of Parliament from Sherpur-2.[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 currently a presidium member of the party.[7]

Early life and education

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.

Political career

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. Chowdhury is well known in South Asia for her fiery speeches and her adamant attitude, qualities that have earned her the nickname of Ogni Konna or Girl of Fire.[8] 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.[9][10] 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.[11]

Personal life

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.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Constituency 144_11th_En". Bangladesh Parliament. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  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. ↑ লাগাম টেনে কথা বলবেন, বিশ্বব্যাংককে মতিয়া চৌধুরী [Talking about the twist, Matia Chowdhury told the World Bank]. Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 2015-06-07. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  9. ↑ "Reject pro-Pakistani line of thinking: HT Imam tells BNP". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "Prime minister, Awami League leaders pay homage to Bangabandhu". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "Press Information Department (PID), Government of Bangladesh". pressinform.portal.gov.bd. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  12. ↑ "Sangbad editor Bazlur Rahman dies". www.independent-bangladesh.com. Retrieved 10 April 2016.


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