Full Name: Faruq Ahmed Choudhury

Affiliation: Government of Bangladesh

Current Position: Deceased

Date of Birth: January 4, 1934

Date of Death: May 17, 2017

Place of Birth: Assam

Home District: Sylhet

Nationality: Bangladeshi

Profile:

Faruq Ahmed Choudhury (4 January 1934 - 17 May 2017) was a Bangladeshi diplomat. He served as Bangladesh's first Chief of Protocol beginning in 1972, Foreign Secretary from 1984 to 1986, and High Commissioner to India from 1986 to 1992. He was a successful civil servant, an outstanding secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a colorful high commissioner in India, and a great organiser of SAARC foreign ministers' conference in its early days. He was awarded the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 2015 for his outstanding contribution to literature.

Choudhury was born in Karimganj, Assam. His ancestral home is in Sylhet district. In 1956, Choudhury entered the Foreign Service of Pakistan as a diplomat (then known as East Pakistan). He held several appointments within the Foreign Office and several Parkistani embassies. He was in charge of Pakistan Foreign Office in Dhaka during the 1971 Liberation War and worked as one of the policymakers in diplomatic arena in support of Bangladesh's independence.

In 1972, Choudhury was appointed as Bangladesh's first Chief of Protocol within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after the country's independence from Pakistan. He went to New Delhi to receive the father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after he was freed from Pakistan jail. He accompanied Bangabandhu in the aircraft from New Delhi to Dhaka on January 10, 1972. He was a close associate and a trusted diplomat of Bangabandhu and travelled to many countries with him.

From 1972 to 1976, Choudhury served as Bangladesh's Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, where he participated in negotiations for Bangladesh's entry into the Commonwealth in 1972. Choudhury was then appointed as Bangladesh's ambassador to Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates from 1976 to 1978. He then served as ambassador accredited to both the European Economic Community (EC) and the Benelux countries – Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands – from 1978 to 1982.

Choudhury returned to the Home Department from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1982. He was the chief coordinator of the 13th OIC Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Dhaka in 1982. He then held the post of Additional Foreign Secretary from 1983 to 1984. He was appointed as Foreign Secretary from 1984 to 1986, the highest ranking non-political officer in the Ministry of External Affairs. He then served as Bangladesh high commissioner to India from 1986-92. He retired from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992.

Choudhury joined BRAC as an advisor in 1992 and continued to work with BRAC until 2006. His contribution played a key role in BRAC’s expansion and growth. He was also a governing body member of BRAC, a trustee board member of BRAC University and the chairman of Delta-BRAC housing company.

Choudhury became a member of the Awami League Advisory Council (Foreign Affairs) in 2002 and was the contact person of foreign diplomats. He played an important role for the Awami League's foreign affairs during the BNP-Jamaat's 2001-06 government tenure.

As an eminent columnist, Choudhury received popularity for his publications on socio-economic and political issues. He received IFIC Bank Literature Award in 2014 and Bangla Academy Literature Award in 2016. He wrote several books in retirement and focused on social causes.

Choudhury died on 17 May 2017 at Square Hospital at the age of 84.

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