{{short description|Bangladeshi politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Masud Uddin Chowdhury | image = Masud Uddin Chowdhury.jpg | caption = Chowdhury in 2007 | constituency_MP = [[Feni-3]] | parliament = Bangladesh | term_start = 30 January 2019 | term_end = 6 August 2024 | predecessor = [[Rahim Ullah]] | office1 = Principal Staff Officer of [[Armed Forces Division]] | president1 = [[Iajuddin Ahmed]] | prime_minister1 = [[Fakhruddin Ahmed]] (acting) | predecessor1 = [[Jahangir Alam Chowdhury]] | successor1 = [[Md Abdul Mubeen|Abdul Mubeen]] | term_start1 = 5 June 2007 | term_end1 = 2 June 2008 | term_start2 = 2007 | term_end2 = 2008 | title2 = Chief Coordinator Of the National Coordination Committee Against Corruption and Crime | birth_date = {{birth_date and age|30 Jun 1954|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Sonagazi Upazila|Sonagazi]], [[East Bengal]], [[Dominion of Pakistan|Pakistan]] | spouse = Jasmin Masud | education = M.D.S (NU), Postgraduation<ref>{{Cite web |title=Constituency 267_11th_En |url=http://www.parliament.gov.bd/index.php/en/contact/contact-an-mp-email-mobile/309-mps-category/mps-of-11th-parliament/3828-constituency-267-11th-en |access-date=2021-05-28 |website=Bangladesh Parliament |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230828103941/http://www.parliament.gov.bd/index.php/en/contact/contact-an-mp-email-mobile/309-mps-category/mps-of-11th-parliament/3828-constituency-267-11th-en |archive-date=2023-08-28}}</ref> <!--Military service-->| allegiance = {{BAN}} | branch = {{army|Bangladesh}}<br />[[Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini]] | service_years = 1972–2008 | rank = [[Lieutenant general (Bangladesh)|Lieutenant General]] | commands = *GOC of [[9th Infantry Division (Bangladesh)|9th Infantry Division]] *GOC of [[33rd Infantry Division (Bangladesh)|33rd Infantry Division]] *PSO of [[Armed Forces Division|Armed Force Division]] | battles = [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] | relatives = [[Sayeed Iskander]] (brother-in-law) }} '''Masud Uddin Chowdhury''' ({{Langx|bn|মাসুদ উদ্দিন চৌধুরী}}; born 30 June 1954) is a retired [[three star rank|three star general]] of the [[Bangladesh Army]] and a politician of the [[Jatiya Party (Ershad)|Jatiya Party]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Gen Masud made NDC chief in army changes |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/gen-masud-made-ndc-chief-in-army-changes |work=bdnews24.com |date=2 June 2008 |access-date=17 December 2015}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite news |title=Ershad appoints Masud Chy as defense adviser |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/ershad-appoints-masud-chy-defense-adviser-1661251 |work=The Daily Star |date=16 November 2018 |access-date=11 January 2019}}</ref> A former [[Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini|National Defence Force operative]], Chowdhury served as former chief coordinator of the National Coordination Committee on Combating Corruption and Crime during the [[second Hasina ministry]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Cleaning up the Mess |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2007/07/04/ca.htm |access-date=2022-07-07 |magazine=Star Weekend Magazine}}</ref>
==Early life== Chowdhury was born on 30 June 1954 to a [[Bengalis|Bengali]] family of [[Muslim]] [[Chowdhury|Chowdhuries]] in the village of Sulakhali in [[Sonagazi Upazila|Sonagazi]], [[Feni District|Feni]], then part of the [[Noakhali district]] of [[East Bengal]].<ref>{{cite news|title=সেনাবাহিনীতে থেকেই চাকরির মেয়াদ শেষ করতে চাই: লে. জে. মাসুদ |url=https://www.banglanews24.com/national/news/bd/45182.details |work=[[Banglanews24.com]]|access-date=4 January 2019|language=bn}}</ref>
== Career == Chowdhury was an officer of the [[Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini]] and was made a Bangladesh Army officer after the Jatiya Rakhi Bahini was absorbed into the army.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=2008-06-09 |title=Lt Gen Masud posted to foreign ministry |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-40407 |access-date=2022-07-07 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref>
Chowdhury was appointed as chief of counter intelligence bureau of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence in 2003 by the [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]] government.<ref name=":2" />
Chowdhury served as a principal staff officer of the Bangladesh [[Armed Forces Division]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rbn24.co.uk/archives/1319 |script-title=bn:দেশে ফেরার সময় গুনছেন জেনারেল মাসুদ চৌধুরী |work=RBN24 |language=bn |access-date=17 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222082736/http://rbn24.co.uk/archives/1319 |archive-date=22 December 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He also served as the general officer commanding (GOC) of 9 Infantry Division and area commander of the Savar area and GOC 33 Infantry Division and area commander of the Comilla area.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |title=Case against Afsan Chowdhury over Facebook post |url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/case-against-afsan-chowdhury-over-facebook-post |access-date=2022-07-07 |work=bdnews24.com |date=7 June 2017}}</ref> In 2007, he was the chief coordinator of the [[National Coordination Committee on Combating Corruption and Crime]] during the caretaker government rule during the [[2006–2008 Bangladeshi political crisis]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Voicebox |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2007/06/01/voice.htm |access-date=2022-07-07 |magazine=Star Weekend Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-06-16 |title=Gen Masud recalled from Australia |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-190189 |access-date=2022-07-07 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref> He attended the 10th Annual Asia-Pacific Chiefs of Defence conference in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-10-29 |title=Lt Gen Masud leaves for US |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-9426 |access-date=2022-07-07 |work=The Daily Star |agency=UNB |language=en}}</ref> [[Tarique Rahman]], son of former prime minister [[Khaleda Zia]], told United States diplomat [[Geeta Pasi]] that he was tortured on the orders of Chowdhury in military custody.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=2011-09-09 |title=Not returning anytime soon |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-201724 |access-date=2022-07-07 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref> Pasi reported it was surprising, as Chowdhury was believed to have been close to Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party.<ref name=":4" />
In June 2007, Chowdhury was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed as the principal staff officer of the [[Armed Forces Division]]. Later he served at the [[National Defence College (Bangladesh)|National Defence College]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /> Chowdhury was the high commissioner for Bangladesh to Australia from June 2008 to 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bhcanberra.com/about-high-commission/high-commissioner |title=The High Commissioner |website=Bangladesh High Commission, Canberra, Australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222144430/https://www.bhcanberra.com/about-high-commission/high-commissioner |archive-date=22 December 2015 |access-date=17 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/3-new-diplomatic-missions-soon-19645 |title=3 new diplomatic missions soon |work=The Daily Star |access-date=17 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.priyo.com/politics/2011/06/17/want-go-retirement-army-gen-ma-29080.html |title=Want to go on retirement from army, Gen Masud |work=Priyo News |access-date=17 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222100709/http://news.priyo.com/politics/2011/06/17/want-go-retirement-army-gen-ma-29080.html |archive-date=22 December 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He founded the Picasso restaurant in Dhaka.<ref name=":3" />
In 2017, Chowdhury filed a case under section-57 of the [[Information and Communication Technology Act, 2006]] against [[Afsan Chowdhury]].<ref name=":3" />
Chowdhury became the member of parliament for [[Feni-3]] in [[2018 Bangladeshi general election|2018]] and again in [[2024 Bangladeshi general election|2024]] by [[Jatiya Party (Ershad)|Jatiya Party]] ticket with the support of [[Awami League]].<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last=Islam |first=Rafiqul |date=30 November 2018 |title=Lt Gen Masud's nomination irks 14-party leaders in Feni 3 |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/election/2018/11/30/lt-gen-masud-s-nomination-irks-14-party-leaders-in-feni-3 |work=Dhaka Tribune |access-date=11 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.gov.bd/index.php/en/mps/members-of-parliament/current-mp-s/list-of-11th-parliament-members-english |title=List of 11th Parliament Members |website=Bangladesh Parliament |access-date=10 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927041941/http://www.parliament.gov.bd/index.php/en/mps/members-of-parliament/current-mp-s/list-of-11th-parliament-members-english |archive-date=27 September 2023}}</ref>
Chowdhury is the president of Baridhara Cosmopolitan Club Limited.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-09-23 |title=Baridhara Cosmopolitan Club donates ambulance to Kurmitola hospital |url=https://archive.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/2021/09/23/baridhara-cosmopolitan-club-donates-ambulance-to-kurmitola-hospital |access-date=2022-07-07 |work=Dhaka Tribune}}</ref> He was re-elected president of the club in 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-11-09 |title=Masud Uddin Chowdhury re-elected Baridhara Cosmopolitan Club president |url=https://archive.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/2018/11/09/masud-uddin-chowdhury-re-elected-baridhara-cosmopolitan-club-president |access-date=2022-07-07 |work=Dhaka Tribune}}</ref>
Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, Chowdhury's home in Feni was burned down and vandalized in February 2025.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-02-06 |script-title=bn:ফেনীতে তিন সাবেক সাংসদের বাড়ি ও আওয়ামী লীগ কার্যালয়ে অগ্নিসংযোগ, ভাঙচুর |url=https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/district/t61awmevzr |access-date=2025-02-06 |work=Prothom Alo |language=bn}}</ref>
== Arrest == On 24 March 2026, Chowdhury was detained by police detectives in a late-night raid on his home in Dhaka led by [[Detective Branch]] Chief Shafiqul Islam.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Former general Masud Uddin Chowdhury, a prominent '1/11' figure, arrested |url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/4cf3722384f4 |access-date=2026-03-24 |work=bdnews24.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Personal life == Chowdhury's brother-in-law, [[Sayeed Iskander]], was the brother of a former prime minister, [[Khaleda Zia]].<ref name=":3" />
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowdhury, Masud Uddin}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1954 births]] [[Category:Bangladesh Army generals]] [[Category:Principal Staff Officers (Bangladesh)]] [[Category:High commissioners of Bangladesh to Australia]] [[Category:Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini personnel]] [[Category:Jatiya Party (Ershad) politicians]] [[Category:11th Jatiya Sangsad members]] [[Category:12th Jatiya Sangsad members]] [[Category:People from Sonagazi Upazila]] [[Category:Politicians from Chittagong Division]]