Abu Sayeed Chowdhury (January 5, 1921 - August 2, 1987) was a jurist and the second President of Bangladesh who was first sworn into office Abu Sayeed Choudhury was born on January 5, 1921 in a Zamindari (Landed) family of Nagbari in Tangail District.His family's old heritage and wealth is widely known.
His father Abdul Hamid Chowdhury apart from being a Zamindar (Lord)
become the speaker of the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly later on in
his life.Abdul Hamid Chowdhury was given the title "Khan Bahadur" by the
British Empire, a title which
he later renounced to give his voice to
the movement against British atrocities and the British Empire.
Education:
Abu Sayeed Chowdhury graduated in 1940 from the Presidency College in
Calcutta.He later on obtained his Masters and Law degrees from Calcutta
University in 1942 and after the second world war he went to the United
Kingdom to do Bar-at-Law in London.
President of Bangladesh:
After liberation, Justice Chowdhury returned to Dhaka and was elected
as President of Bangladesh on 12 January 1972. On 10 April 1973,
he was again elected as President of Bangladesh, and in the same year
(December) he resigned and become special envoy for external relations
with the rank of a minister. On 8 August 1975, he was included in the
cabinet of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as minister of Ports and
Shipping. After Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib was assassinated he became the
minister for Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of President Khondakar
Mostaq Ahmad (August 1975), a position which he held till 7 November
1975.
UN Committee:
In 1978, Justice Chowdhury was elected a member of the United Nations
Sub-committee on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of
Minorities.In 1985, he was elected chairman of the UN Human Rights Commission.He was honoured with the insignia of 'Deshikottam' by Visvabharati
University. Calcutta University awarded him the honorary degree of
Doctor of Law an event which was attended by the Prime Minister of
India, Indira Gandhi. His book Probasey Muktijuddher Dingooli (1990) is a
valuable contribution to the understanding of Bangladesh War of
Liberation. He died of a heart attack in London on 2 August 1987 and was buried in his village, Nagbari of Tangail.