Full Name: Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Bir Bikram

Affiliation: Bangladesh Awami League

Current Position: Energy, Power & Mineral Resources Adviser to the Prime Minister

Date of Birth: 1945

Place of Birth: Bangladesh

Home District: Sylhet

Nationality: Bangladeshi

Profile:

Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Bir Bikram (born 1945) is a Bangladesh Awami League Politician, Bureaucrat and Energy, Power & Mineral Resources Adviser to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In 2009 he was made Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for Energy, Power & Mineral Resources with the rank and status of a Minister. He still serves in that capacity. In 1968 Chowdhury joined the Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP). He subsequently quitted his job to join the Liberation War, was commissioned in the Bangladesh Defense Forces and decorated for gallantry as Bir Bikram. Chowdhury was one of the main organizers of the Proclamation of Independence and inauguration of the Government of Bangladesh on April 17, 1971 at Mujibnagar.

Chowdhury was born in his ancestral home is in the village of Nateshwar in Beanibazar, Sylhet District under British India. Chowdhury passed Secondary School Certificate examination from Barisal Zilla School in 1959 and ISC examination from Dhaka College in 1961. He earned his bachelor's in economics from the University of Dhaka in 1964 and master's from Panjab University in 1965. He completed his post graduate diploma from Leeds University, UK in 1975. He went to Harvard University and earned his PhD in 1983.

Chowdhury began his career as a lecturer in economics in the University of Dhaka. He then joined the Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP) in 1968. In 1971, he was the Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate of Kushtia District. During the non-cooperation movement in March, he met some Bengali colleagues in Jhenaidah on March 21-23. After negotiations, they decided that if a military conflict was imminent, they would build resistance in their respective areas. After independence, Chowdhury was gradually promoted to the post of Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh. Chowdhury served as secretary to the Government of Bangladesh for nearly a decade in the Ministries of Food, Statistics, Power, Energy & Mineral Resources, and Planning till his retirement in 2002. He was a visiting fellow at the Economic Growth Center of Yale University.

On the night of March 25, 1971, Chowdhury expressed solidarity with the people and take up arms for the war of liberation. On 26 March he wrote two letters and sent them to India. One sends to the DC of Nadia district bordering Meherpur. He gave a copy to the local Commander of BSF. The second letter is addressed to the people of India. Both letters had his signature and official seal. The second letter was published in Amrit Bazar newspaper on 27th March. Nadia district DC and BSF Commander responded to the letter. At their invitation, on March 29, he visited Betai BOP in India. They welcomed him with dignity as the Ambassador of Bangladesh. A small team of the BSF awarded him the Guard of Honor. After that they discuss and the next day, March 30, he went to Chuadanga. He had earlier received the news of the mutiny of the Bengali soldiers of the Chuadanga EPR wing. During his stay here, he met Awami League leader Tajuddin Ahmed and Barrister Amir-ul-Islam. Chowdhury and Jhenaidah sub-divisional police officer Mahbub Uddin Ahmed (Bir Bikram) took them to the Changkhali checkpost on the Indo-Bangladesh border. Chowdhury was involved in various organizational activities of the war of liberation as well as active struggler during the resistance war. On 30 March the resistance fighters attacked Kushtia under the overall leadership of Abu Osman Chowdhury. He played an active role in this war and in the swearing-in ceremony of the cabinet, including the acting president and prime minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh at Mujibnagar in Meherpur on 17 April. Later, when the activities of the Government of Bangladesh started, Chowdhury was appointed to the Secretariat of the Government of Bangladesh. But he expressed interest in armed warfare rather than safe civilian responsibility. He was then included in the Mukti Bahini.

After the formation of the Bangladesh Government, the armed liberation war of Bangladesh gradually took organizational form. At this time the sectors were formed. Chowdhury became the Commander of Shikarpur sub-sector of sector 8. He later served as the Benapole sub-sector Commander. Many battles took place in this area. The battle of Putkhali is one of them.

Chowdhury has co-authored a number of books and published articles in reputed journals. His recent book, “Chariot of Life: Liberation War, Politics and Sojourn in Jail” published by Penguin Random House India, has been widely acclaimed.

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