Shahjahan Chowdhury

{{short description|Bangladeshi politician}} {{other people||Shahjahan Chowdhury (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Shahjahan Chowdhury | native_name = {{nobold|শাহজাহান চৌধুরী}} | image = | office = Member of Parliament | constituency = Cox's Bazar-4 | term_start = 17 February 2026 | term_end = | predecessor = Shahin Akhtar | successor = | constituency1 = Cox's Bazar-4 | term_start1 = 1 October 2001 | term_end1 = 29 October 2006 | predecessor1 = Mohammad Ali | successor1 = Abdur Rahman Bodi | constituency2 = Cox's Bazar-4 | term_start2 = 27 February 1991 | term_end2 = 15 February 1996 | predecessor2 = Abdul Gani | successor2 = Mohammad Ali | party = Bangladesh Nationalist Party | other_party = National Democratic Party | birth_date = | birth_place = Rajapalong, Cox's Bazar, East Bengal | alma_mater = University of Chittagong<br>Chittagong College | death_date = | death_place = }}

'''Shahjahan Chowdhury''' ({{langx|bn|শাহজাহান চৌধুরী}}) is a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician and the current Member of Parliament for Cox's Bazar-4.

==Early life and family== Shahjahan was born on 31 December 1952 in the village of Rajapalong in Ukhia, Cox's Bazar subdivision, then part of the Chittagong district of East Bengal, Pakistan. He belongs to a landed Bengali family of Muslim Chowdhuries with strong political roots. His father, Abul Kashem Chowdhury, served as chairman of the undivided Rajapalong Union Council. His grandfather Maqbul Ahmad Chowdhury served as president of the undivided Rajapalong Union Board and is the namesake of the Middle Rajapalong Maqbul Ahmad Chy Model Noorani Academy and Ibtedayi Madrasa. Shahjahan's brother Advocate A. K. Muhammad Shahjalal Chowdhury was chairman of the Ukhia Subdistrict Council from 2009 to 2013 and a four-time president of the Cox's Bazar Lawyers' Society.<ref name=ukhia>{{cite web|title=পূর্বতন পরিষদ চেয়ারম্যানগণ|language=bn|url=https://ukhiya.coxsbazar.gov.bd/bn/site/page/HiMH-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%82%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B7%E0%A6%A6-%E0%A6%9A%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%A3}}</ref> His other brother, Alhaj A. K. Muhammad Shahkamal Chowdhury, was a four-time chairman of the Rajapalong Union Council and founder of the Abul Kashem Noorjahan Chowdhury High School, while his youngest brother Sarwar Jahan Chowdhury was chairman of the Ukhia Subdistrict Council in 2014.<ref name=ref>{{citation|language=bn|title=রাজাপালং চৌধুরী বাড়ী: উখিয়ার উজ্জল অধ্যায়}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://aknchighschool.edu.bd/speech/%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B7%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A3%E0%A7%80/|title=প্রতিষ্ঠাতার বাণী|language=bn}}</ref><ref name=ukhia/>

Chowdhury completed his initial studies locally in Ukhia before completing his Intermediate of Arts from the Chittagong College. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with honours in sociology from the University of Chittagong in 1975.<ref name=ref/>

==Career== Chowdhury was elected to parliament from Cox's Bazar-4 as a Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate in 2001.<ref name="votemonitor">{{cite web |url=http://votemonitor.net:80/bangladesh/EADetails_1991_1996_2001.php?EA=297 |url-status=dead |title=Parliament Election Result of 1991, 1996, 2001 Bangladesh Election Information and Statistics |author= |website=Vote Monitor Networks |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229002919/http://votemonitor.net/bangladesh/EADetails_1991_1996_2001.php?EA=297 |archive-date=29 December 2008 |access-date=25 October 2019}}</ref> Smuggling is a well known problem in the constituency, which encompasses Teknaf and Ukhia upazilas, both of which border Myanmar.<ref name="dt31Oct2018" /> Chowdhury is said to have been supported by "the man allegedly leading smuggling operations in Teknaf".<ref>{{cite book |last=Lintner |first=Bertil |author-link=Bertil Lintner |year=2015 |title=Great Game East: India, China, and the Struggle for Asia's Most Volatile Frontier |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p--5BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA167 |publisher=Yale University Press |pages=167 |isbn=978-0-300-21332-4}}</ref> He contested the seat again in 2018, but was defeated by Shahin Akhtar, the Awami League candidate.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bodi's wife Shahin Akhter wins Cox's Bazar-4 seat |url=https://bdnews24.com/11thparliamentaryelection/bodis-wife-shahin-akhter-wins-coxs-bazar-4-seat |work=bdnews24.com |date=31 December 2018}}</ref> He is the president of the Cox's Bazar unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.<ref name="dt31Oct2018">{{cite news |last=Aziz |first=Abdul |date=31 October 2018 |title=Cox's Bazar 4 constituency: Surplus of AL candidates against lone BNP candidate |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/election/2018/10/31/cox-s-bazaar-4-constituency-surplus-of-al-voters-against-lone-bnp-candidate |work=Dhaka Tribune |access-date=25 October 2019}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowdhury, Shahjahan}} Category:Living people Category:Bangladesh Nationalist Party politicians Category:9th Jatiya Sangsad members Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:13th Jatiya Sangsad members Category:8th Jatiya Sangsad members Category:6th Jatiya Sangsad members Category:5th Jatiya Sangsad members Category:2nd Jatiya Sangsad members Category:1952 births Category:People from Ukhia Upazila Category:Politicians from Cox's Bazar District Category:University of Chittagong alumni Category:Chittagong College alumni