Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury (Grandfather)
Former Superintendent, Office of the Auditor General and Controller
Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury was born in January 1949 in Salimbari, Salimgonj, Sreenathpur, Alinagar Union, Kamalganj Upazila, Moulvibazar District. Grandfather Abdul Manaf Chowdhury is the son of Salimullah Chowdhury, and Mr Salimullah Chowdhury was the son of Khan Mohammad Chowdhury, a resident of Bhadreswar under Sylhet Division.
Mr Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury’s primary education started from Salimgonj Government Primary School, which is established in front of Salimbari. After completing his primary education, he passed the SSC examination in 1965 from Kamalganj High School and successfully passed HSC from Moulvibazar Government College in 1968. The highly talented Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury passed B.Com from Moulvibazar Government College in 1971. During that time, only a very few people passed B Com from government colleges in the area.
Besides education, Mr Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury used to participate in various cultural programs at the school and college levels. He was very good at poetry and participated in various competitions and cultural programs, including sports, at the upazila and district levels, and won a significant number of awards across the government and private sectors, which played an important role in uplifting the image of the school and college in Kamalgonj, Moulvibazar.
The family of Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury is among those that helped the freedom fighters during the Great War of Liberation in 1971. His father, Abdul Karim Chowdhury, supported the freedom fighters by giving them food and shelter during the liberation war. As a vow to his father, Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury himself supported the freedom fighters at various times. Until death, Mr Abdul Karim Chowdhury was president of Salimgonj Ja’me Masjid, Salimgonj Government Primary School and trustee of Nazrana Education and Health Trust.
On April 25, 1975, Mr Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury’s official career began by joining the office of the Controller General of Accounts under the Ministry of Finance in Controller General’s Office Bhaban Segunbagicha, Dhaka. He served as an important, responsible government auditor of the Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh during his career. He was very knowledgeable and well-versed in CGA rules and procedures.
Due to honesty, dedication and competence, he later held the post of Superintendent of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Apart from the Ministry of Finance, he also made decisions on important issues on behalf of the Bangladesh government. Besides solving many complex problems related to finance. He also played an important role in the verification and inspection of documents sent by other ministries.
Father Late Abdul Karim Chowdhury (Intaz Mia Master Shaheb) and Mother Suratunnessa Begum Chowdhury both owned huge land, property and were philanthropists. Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury’s father, Abdul Karim Chowdhury, was cultured, enlightened and artistic from childhood. At that time, he was well known as a famous footballer in the entire district. Due to his philanthropic work and philanthropy, he was first elected Union Parishad member in the sixties and later elected UP member many times. He loved everyone irrespective of individual religion, cast, and beliefs.
Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury’s father-in-law, Hajji MD Tajud Ali Mirashdar, was the owner of vast land holdings, well-versed and respected in local arbitration. Mr Chowdhury’s wife, Runa Begum Chowdhury (BA B ED), has been working as a Deputy Head in Kamalganj Bahumukhi Balika High School for a long time. She was selected as the best girl guide of Kamalganj upazila in 2004, and the best girls guide teacher at the district level in 2018.
Wife Runa Begum Chowdhury is currently teaching at Kamalgonj Bohumukhi Girls High School. She also served as a member of Almas Uddin Primary School, Zebunnesa Government Primary School and a teacher representative of the managing committee of Kamalganj Bohumukhi Girls High School for a long time.
“Jotsna Health Centre” is established in the name of Jyotsna Ara Begum Chowdhury, the only sister of Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury. Sister-in-law, London expatriate Late Nazir Uddin Chowdhury, prominent businessman, philanthropist, founder of Nazrana Education and Health Trust (the oldest charitable organisation in Kamalganj).
Among the brothers, Late Abdul Hakim Chowdhury died while serving in BADC, and Tajul Islam Chowdhury was an elected member of Alinagar Union Parishad many times. Tajul Islam Chowdhury was very brave and skilled in village arbitration. He also served as a member of the Managing Committee of Salimgonj Government Primary School and the President of Sreenathpur Community Clinic.
Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury’s eldest son, Hasan Chowdhury, started his primary education from the famous Motijheel Model School and College in Dhaka and later studied BSc (Hons in Pharmacy. Hasan Chowdhury has founded Institutions, served as chair of a charity, director and governor of a School in London.
Youngest son Ahsan Kabir Chowdhury (Ripon) completed a Master’s in Physics from Dhaka University and is serving as a senior officer of Janata Bank. Apart from studies, he is a very talented person who played an important role in keeping the reputation of the educational institution and the area intact by participating in various competitions at the upazila and district levels. At present, Ahsan Kabir Chowdhury is working as a Habilitation Specialist in New York State, USA. The only daughter, Tanjia Chowdhury (Moon), has obtained a GPA of 5 from Kamalganj Girls High School in SSC and HSC BAF Shaheen College and is currently pursuing advanced education in London.
Mr Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury retired from service in January, 2007. A very kind, devoted, educational, and social worker, philanthropist, person after his retirement, he served as the founder president of TIC Girls High School, and president of Salimullah Jame Masjid till his death.
Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury worked tirelessly for the country and the area despite his physical illness and busy schedule. He was always available to help the destitute, the poor, and the orphans. During the coronavirus pandemic, he has repeatedly distributed relief to the area regardless of caste and religion. Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury and his family always stood by the general people in any disaster. Besides, the touch of Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury’s donation to various roads restructuring, schools, mosques, madrasahs, clinics and charitable institutions for the development of the area exists to date.
The role of Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury and his family in maintaining mutual harmony within the area is undeniable. Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury used to distribute gifts and share happiness and sorrows with poor people, regardless of caste, religion, family, relatives, and friends during festivals (Eid, Puja-Parbon). He has always been appreciated by all for the development of the local transport, water facilities, medical facilities, and arbitration activities. As an organiser, community activist and a proud face, Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury has dedicated his life to the country and the nation.
Education, charity, nobility and love for people are very rare qualities in a human being. Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury is an honest man of rare talent who possesses all qualities. Despite being the son of a noble family, he quietly worked as a dedicated social worker for the development and progress of the area, due to which he was respected by everyone in the local area.
Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury built the traditional Salimgonj Ja’me Masjid premises and the huge Masjid Minaret adjacent to the Masjid through his own planning and design, which looks a lot like the luxurious minarets of the Middle East. To fulfil one of his dreams and long-standing aspirations of the underprivileged residents, he established a girls’ high school in the area. It is the only girls’ high school in the Moulvibazar district where the students of the area are getting free education.
Benevolent, soft-spoken, philanthropic and the privileged son of a father respected by all, after retirement from a long and illustrious career, he kept himself busy in developing the country through continuous social activities. A family and socially established educationist with a very rare talent, he lived in the village for the development of his area instead of living a luxurious life in the city. The affable man was genetically connected to the soil and the people and earned the undying love of the people of the area.
The philanthropic, eloquent and good-natured great gentleman sadly passed away on 25th December 2022 at 11:45 am at Ragib Rabeya Medical College Hospital due to old age at the age of 74 years, leaving the light of the world and the illusion of the world to his wife, sons, daughters, close relatives and well-wishers. Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Raziun…! May Almighty Allah grant the late Tawhidul Islam Chowdhury the highest place in Paradise. Ameen!
