AFM Alim Chowdhury

Abul Fayez Mohammad Abdul Alim Chowdhury,^[1] (1928 – 1971) was an eye specialist in Bangladesh. He was abducted by the Al-Badr militia as part of a plan to kill the renowned intellectuals of the country and was found dead on December 18, at Rayer Bazaar in Dhaka.^[2]

Early life and career

Chowdhury was born in the village Khoyerpur in Kishoreganj in 1928. He passed metric examination from Kishoreganj High School in 1945. Then he went to Calcutta Islamia College, where he passed the Intermediate examination in 1947. He studied in Dhaka Medical College and received an MBBS degree from there in 1955. In 1961, he received a D.O. degree from London.

Chowdhury worked at St James's Hospital as a registrar from 1961 to 1963. He returned to Bangladesh in 1963 and joined Kumudini Hospital in Mirzapur as a chief ophthalmologist. In 1967, He became an associate professor at post graduate medicine and research institute in Dhaka and joined Dhaka Medical College as an associate Professor in 1968.

Chowdhury was active in leftist politics from his student life. He was an active participant in the 1952 Bengali language movement. In 1971, he was working as an associate professor at the Department of Ophthalmology in Sir Salimullah Medical College. He played an active role in forming the East Pakistan Medical Association (current Bangladesh Medical Association), and was elected the general secretary of the association.

Creative activities

Chowdhury had a preference for photography and creative writing. He edited two monthly magazines named (Bengali: খাপছাড়া) and (Bengali: যাত্রিক) in his student life. He worked as sub-editor for two newspapers named (Bengali: দৈনিক ইত্তেহাদ) and (Bengali: দৈনিক মিল্লাত).

Personal life

Chowdhury left behind his wife and two daughters. His wife, Shyamoli Nasrin Chowdhury is a national award winning educationist and former principal of Udayan School. Both of his daughters are physicians, one an eye specialist.

Abduction and death

As part of a planned assault on Bengali intellectuals, Chowdhury was abducted by Jamaat's militia wing Al-Badr militants on December 15, 1971. His dead body was found along with the bodies of many other intellectuals at Rayerbazar mass grave, Dhaka.

Moulana Abdul Mannan, one of the key collaborators of the Pakistan army during the Liberation war of Bangladesh, was directly involved in the abduction and killing of Chowdhury.^[3] Chowdhury had been living in Purana Paltan in 1971. In the mid of July, Moulana Mannan, an organizer of Al-Badr, came to Chowdhury for a shelter as he was shelterless and destitute at that time. Former speaker A.T.M.A. Matin was neighbor of Chowdnury. It was Matin whose request made him to rent his ground floor to Mannan.^[4] On December 15, some members of Al-Badr came to his house and took him away. Chowdhury never returned. Moulana Mannan absconded on December 16.

On December 18, Chowdhury was found dead along with other intellectuals at Rayer Bazar mass grave. Later, he was buried in Azimpur graveyard.

On 3 November, 2013, Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, a Muslim leader based in London, and Ashrafuz Zaman Khan, based in the US, were sentenced in absentia after the court found that they were involved in the abduction and murders of 18 people – nine Dhaka University teachers, six journalists and three physicians including Chowdhury – in December 1971.^[5]

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