A valiant freedom fighter and gentleman par excellence

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Amin Ahmed Chowdhury, Bir Bikram

Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury It was a kind of bolt from the blue! He was not known to be that sick or handicapped by any major illness. As such, the news of his sudden death took many by total surprise. Death, however, comes without any prior notice in many cases. Unfortunately, this has been the case with Major General (retd) Amin Ahmed Chowdhury, Bir Bikram, a great son of the soil. He fought valiantly in the Liberation War in 1971 and was seriously injured in the combat. Amin Ahmed Chowdhury had several other remarkable feathers in his cap as well. He held many important posts in the army and also served the nation as a diplomat with great reputation. Having retired from all these government duties, late Amin Ahmed Chowdhury chose to carve out a different niche for himself and there too he excelled. He was a writer. His columns appeared in various newspapers including the Financial Express. He wrote on different subjects - ranging from the Liberation War issues to current topics that generally agitate public mind. It was no wonder that when he died of a massive heart attack, he was on his computer writing a piece on the current political stalemate in Bangladesh. Amin Ahmed Chowdhury was an analyst on international affairs and security matters. He occasionally participated in television talk shows, giving his unbiased and pragmatic assessments of many subjects. I had the privilege of knowing him for a pretty long time and last met him not long ago. A senior friend of mine, late "Amin Bhai" - the soft spoken soldier-turned-diplomat and later a writer, was known to many people of the country. He was suave and somewhat reticent, but would also be exuberant while discussing matters on national and international situation. He was a good conversationalist, who would like to listen more than talking - let alone seeking to impose his will on others. What was particularly noteworthy is that he would not toe any line blindly and would give his independent views on the basis of the merit of the issues. I first saw Amin Bhai in 1972 when as a Reporter of the national news agency BSS, I interviewed some of the injured freedom fighters, who had gone for medical treatment to the erstwhile German Democratic Republic (GDR), also known as East Germany. Afterwards, I used to meet him quite often and more so when he was the chairman of the Bangladesh Tea Board. As I come from tea-growing Sylhet area, he invited me on quite a few occasions to his office for discussion on the tea industry even though I did not have much idea about the subject. I, however, used to meet him more regularly at seminars and symposia on international affairs. Last time we were together was at a TV talk show on Indo-Bangladesh relations. We two were the participants and I noticed that he could go deep into the subject. The bottom line is that during the last few years of his life, Amin Bhai was more engrossed in thoughts on domestic and foreign subjects, giving vent to his feelings through writings or discussions. I also happen to know his wife as we used to meet quite often at different gatherings. My deep condolences to Bhabi and other members in the family. When my wife was seriously sick and was in the United Hospital for several days not too long ago, I would often meet Amin Bhai as he lived just opposite the hospital. He offered all kinds of help and assistance that I gratefully remember. We sincerely mourn the death of a valiant freedom fighter and a gentleman par excellence. His valour and heroism in 1971, and his intellectual accomplishments later in his life would make Amin Ahmed Chowdhury's memory ever-lasting. zaglulbss@yahoo.com