{{More citations needed|date=April 2026}} {{Short description|Pakistani politician and journalist (1906–1966)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Habibullah Bahar Chowdhury |native_name = হবীবুল্লাহ বাহার চৌধুরী<br/>حبیب اللہ بہار چوہدری |native_name_lang = bn |image = HabibullahBaharChowdhury.jpg |office = Health Minister of East Pakistan Provincial Assembly |term_start = 1947 |term_end = 1950s |predecessor = ''Position created'' |birth_date = 1906 |birth_place = Feni, Eastern Bengal and Assam, British India |death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1966|4|15|1906}} |death_place = East Pakistan, Dacca |occupation = Politician, writer |spouse = Anwara Bahar Chowdhury |relatives = {{ubl|Shamsunnahar Mahmud (sister)|Khan Bahadur Abdul Aziz (grandfather)}} |children = {{ubl|Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury|Selina Bahar Zaman}} }}
'''Habibullah Bahar Chowdhury''' (1906 – 15 April 1966) was a politician, journalist, footballer and writer from erstwhile East Bengal, now Bangladesh, who served in the political spheres of British India and Pakistan.<ref name=bpedia>{{cite Banglapedia|article=Chowdhury,_Habibullah_Bahar|author=Rafiqul Akbar}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Chowdhury was born at Guthuma village in Feni district in 1906. His father, Mohammad Nurullah, was a munsiff.<ref>{{cite Banglapedia|article=Mahmud, Shamsunnahar|author=AKM Saifuzzaman}}</ref> He passed Matriculation in 1922 from Chittagong Municipal School and ISc from Chittagong College in 1924. He then graduated from Calcutta Islamia College in 1928.<ref name=bpedia/>
== Playing career == Bahar played as a footballer with Kolkata Mohammedan. Under his captainship, the team was promoted to the Calcutta Football League First Division in 1933.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abu Sayed |first=Mohammed |date=April 15, 2023 |title=সাংস্কৃতিক জাগরণে হবীবুল্লাহ্ বাহার এবং মোহামেডান স্পোর্টিং ক্লাব |url=https://bangla.thedailystar.net/literature/news-470436 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250226115523/https://bangla.thedailystar.net/literature/news-470436 |archive-date=February 26, 2025 |access-date=February 26, 2025 |website=bangla.thedailystar.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan Observer 1966.04.16 — South Asian Newspapers |url=https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/san/?a=d&d=paob19660416-01.1.8 |access-date=2025-11-15 |website=gpa.eastview.com}}</ref>
== Sports administration == Bahar moved to East Pakistan after the Partition of India. He served as the president of the Dhaka Sports Association (DSA) shortly after partition. In January 1951, after the DSA was renamed East Pakistan Sports Association (EPSA), he served as its president. On 20 May 1951, he merged the EPSA with the East Pakistan Sports Federation (EPSF) and began serving as the president of the reintroduced EPSF.<ref>{{cite news|title=ইস্টপাক স্পোর্টস ফেডারেশন|trans-title=EastPak Sports Federation|publisher=The Azad|page=6|date=21 May 1951|language=bn}}</ref> In 1952, the EPSF successfully hosted the National Football Championship in Dacca, which became Bahar's biggest success as its president.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dailysangram.com/post/77828|title=সাহিত্য-সাংবাদিকতার 'প্রবাদ পুরুষ' পরশুরামের হবীবুল্লাহ বাহার চৌধুরী|language=bn|website=Daily Sangram|date=2012-02-19|access-date=2024-10-08|archive-date=2024-10-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008075530/https://dailysangram.com/post/77828-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B7-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%9A%E0%A7%8C%E0%A6%A7%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%80|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://doinikfeni.com/details.php?newsid=1564|title=স্বাস্থ্য খাতে একজন হাবিবুল্লাহ বাহার চৌধুরীর বড়ই প্রয়োজন|language=bn|website=Doinik Feni|date=2020-05-04|access-date=2024-10-08|archive-date=2024-10-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008080246/https://doinikfeni.com/details.php?newsid=1564|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Career== In 1933, Chowdhury took up journalism and along with his sister, Shamsunnahar Mahmud, published the literary journal ''"Bulbul"''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.voabangla.com/a/a-16-2005-11-26-voa12-94382064/1389447.html|title="Nirbachito Bulbul" Inaugurated in Kolkata|publisher= Voice of America|date=26 November 2005|accessdate=17 March 2016}}</ref> Chowdhury actively joined politics as an activist of the Bengal Provincial Muslim League, and was elected a member of its executive committee in 1937. In 1944, he was elected publicity secretary of the League. He was elected a member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly from the Parshuram constituency of Feni district.<ref name=bpedia/> He was the health minister of the first Muslim League cabinet in East Pakistan.<ref name=bpedia/>
==Works== After suffering a stroke, he resigned from the cabinet position in 1953. Chowdhury started writing books prior to 1947 partition. His works include ''"Pakistan"'', ''"Mohammad Ali Jinnah"'', ''"Omar Faruq"'', and ''"Ameer Ali"''.<ref name=bpedia/>
==Personal life== Chowdhury was married to Anwara Bahar Chowdhury (1919–1987). Anwara was a social activist and writer. She established Habibullah Bahar College in 1969 after Chowdhury's name.<ref name=rem>{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/remembrance/anwara-bahar-choudhury-73712|title=Remembrance : Anwara Bahar Choudhury : Educationist, Writer and Cultural Activist|date=27 March 2015|accessdate=18 March 2016|newspaper=The Daily Star}}</ref> Together they had 4 daughters – Selina Bahar Zaman, Shaheen Westcombe, Nasreen Shams and Tazeen Chowdhury and one son - Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury.<ref name=now>{{cite news|url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=25798|title=The art of recitation: Then and now|date=3 March 2008|accessdate=17 March 2016|newspaper=The Daily Star|archive-date=2 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402143120/http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=25798|url-status=dead}}</ref> Chowdhury's grandfather, Khan Bahadur Abdul Aziz, an educationist, had a close relationship with poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.<ref name=recitation>{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/event/iqbal-bahar-chowdhurys-recitation-evening-today-80645|title=Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury's recitation evening today|date=6 May 2015|accessdate=17 March 2016|newspaper=The Daily Star}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Choudhury, Habibullah Bahar}} Category:1906 births Category:1966 deaths Category:Bengali writers Category:Maulana Azad College alumni Category:Date of birth missing Category:Place of death missing Category:People from Feni District Category:Politicians from Chittagong Division Category:University of Calcutta alumni Category:Pakistani MNAs 1947–1954 Category:Members of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan Category:Bengal MLAs 1946–1947 Category:East Bengal MLAs 1947–1954 Category:Bangladesh independence activists Category:Provincial ministers of East Pakistan Category:Bangladeshi men's footballers Category:Pakistani men's footballers Category:Mohammedan SC (Kolkata) players Category:Calcutta Football League players Category:Men's association football players not categorized by position