Chowdhury, Amin Ahmed

Chowdhury, Amin Ahmed (1946-2013) Freedom Fighter, gallantry awardee Commander of Alpha Company of 8th East Bengal Regiment during the Liberation War, Major General of Bangladesh Army, Ambassador. Amin Ahmed Chowdhury was born on 8 February, 1945 at Dakshin Anandpur village of Fulgazi upazila in Feni district. His father’s name is Sultan Ahmed Chowdhury and his mother’s name is Azizunnessa. His father served in the British and Pakistani police services. Due to his father’s job, he spent his childhood and adolescence in Mymensingh city. After passing Matriculation examination from Mymensingh, he got admission into Dhaka College. After passing Intermediate examinatiom from there, he took admission in BSc in Anandmohan College, Mymensingh. Amin Ahmed Chowdhury joined the Pakistan Army as a cadet on 27 November, 1965 while studying BSc After completing his training with merit from the Pakistan Military Academy (Kakul), he was commissioned and posted as a Second Lieutenant in the East Bengal Regiment.

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Amin Ahmed Chowdhury

On the eve of the Liberation War, Amin Ahmed Chowdhury was working as a captain in the Pakistan Army and worked as an instructor at the East Bengal Regimental Center (EBRC). During the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1971, he secretly played an important role in preparing the Bengali army officers stationed in Chittagong for the Liberation War. Having served under the Pakistan Martial Law Administrator during the Non-cooperation Movement from 1 to 25 March, he was able to know the attitude of the Pakistani forces towards the Bengalis. After President Yahya Khan suspended the session of the National Assembly on 1 March, the Bengali military officers staying in Chittagong made mental preparations for armed resistance against the Pakistani army from the beginning of March. Realigning this, the Pakistani army officers brought Amin Ahmed Chowdhury to Dhaka Cantonment by helicopter on 25 March.

On the night of 25 March in the name of ‘Operation Searchlight’, Pakistani soldiers started indiscriminate killing unarmed Bengalis in different parts of the country including Dhaka. They killed many Bengali hundred Bengali soldiers in EBRC while they were sleeping, including several officers in Chittagong cantonment that night. After hearing this, Amin Ahmed Chowdhury fled from Dhaka Cantonment and went to India to join the Liberation War.

Captain Amin Ahmed Chowdhury led many successful operations against Pakistani forces at various places in greater Mymensingh district under Sector No. 11. Later, when ‘Z’ Force was constituted in the form of a brigade under the command of Major Ziaur Rahman on 7 July, he efficiently served as the commander of the Alpha Company of the 8th East Bengal Regiment of that force. Under his guidance, planning and supervision, a fierce battle took place against the Pakistani army at Nakshi BOP (Border Outpost) of Jhenaigati upazila in Sherpur district on 4 August. Captain Amin Ahmed Chowdhury led the attack with two companies of Freedom Fighters against one company of Pakistani soldiers stationed at the BOP. Of the Freedom Fighters, 20 were regular forces (10 military, 8 EPR and 2 police) and the rest were members of the Mukti Bahini who had received one or two weeks of training. He recced BOP for three days before conducting the attack on the planned day. Through the frontal attack at Nakshi BOP on August 3, his forces killed 35 Pakistani soldiers. On the other hand, 23 Freedom Fighters were martyred

After independence, the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh honored Captain Amin Ahmed Chowdhury with the title of ‘Bir Bikram’ for his bravery and heroic achievements in the great war of liberation.

After the Liberation War, Amin Ahmed Chowdhury joined the Bangladesh Army and was gradually promoted to the rank of Major General. He retired from army in 2010. While serving in the Bangladesh Army, he was the Military Attaché at the Bangladesh Embassy in Myanmar from 1976 to 1977; Managing Director of Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust from 1986 to 1989; served as Chairman of Bangladesh Tea Board from 1989 to 1992 and Executive Chairman of Army Welfare Organization from 1992 to 1995. He also served as Ambassador at Bangladesh Embassy in Oman from 1995 to 2002. He served as the main organizer of the 2nd (1985), 6th (1993) and 11th (2010) SAFF Games held in Dhaka. He used to write on military policy, military strategy and international relations. Based on his experiences of Liberation War ‘1971 ebong Amar Shamarik Jiban’ is a notable book authored by him. In addition, he was a member of the editorial board of ‘Ekattarer Chithi’, a documentary book on the Liberation War. In order to commemorate the contribution and sacrifice of the martyrs under the guidance of Amin Ahmed Chowdhury during his stay in the Jaidebpur Cantonment, that a magnificent memorial ‘Jagrata Chowrangi’ was built in 1973 at the intersection of Dhaka-Tangail, Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Jaidebpur at Gazipur. It was the first Liberation War sculpture built in independent Bangladesh.

A road in Gulshan of the capital Dhaka has been named after the valiant Freedom Fighter Amin Ahmed Chowdhury Bir Bikram. His wife’s name is Syeda Latifa Amin. This couple has two sons. The Freedom Fighter Amin Ahmed Chowdhury died on 19 April, 2013. [Moniruzzaman Shahin]