Dewan Taimur Raja Chowdhury ( bn, দেওয়ান তৈমুর রাজা চৌধুরী; 5 November 1917 – 14 December 1997) was a Bangladeshi politician, landowner and poet. He was the former member of parliament from Sylhet-7 as a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician.

Early life

Chowdhury was born on 5 November 1917 to a Bengali Muslim family in

Rampasha Rampasha ( bn, রামপাশা) is a Union Council of Bishwanath Upazila of Sylhet District in north-east Bangladesh. It is about to the east of Bioragibazar. The Union Council office of Rampasha is situated in the east side of the village ...

, Bishwanath,

Sylhet District Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট), located in north-east Bangladesh, is the divisional capital and one of the four districts in the Sylhet Division. History Sylhet district was established on 3 January 1782, and until 1878 it was part of Bengal Pro ...

, Assam Province, British India. His father was

Khan Bahadur Khan Bahadur – a compound of khan ('leader') and bahadur ('brave') – was a formal title of respect and honor, which was conferred exclusively on Muslim and other non-Hindu natives of British India. It was one degree higher than the title of K ...

Dewan Eklimur Raja Chowdhury and his mother was Meherjan Banu. His paternal grandfather was the renowned Bengali mystic Hason Raja. Chowdhury began his education in Rajaganj Primary School before enrolling at the

Sylhet Government Alia Madrasah Sylhet Government Alia Madrasa ( bn, সিলেট সরকারী আলিয়া মাদ্রাসা; ar, المدرسة العالية الحكومية سلهت) is located in Chawhatta, Sylhet, Bangladesh. Founded in 1913, the mad ...

where he did Islamic studies and also studied Bengali, Arabic, Persian and Urdu. He then moved on to study at Rasamay Memorial High School and Sylhet Government High School. He graduated from Murari Chand College. As a student he was the Secretary of Assam Provincial Muslim Students Federation.

Career

Chowdhury's career began with taking care of his father's various properties such as the Alijan Coal Mine in Assam, Rupamukhi and Sonamukhi in Tripura, and Moulvibazar Tea Garden. From 1943 to 1946, Chowdhury was the honorary magistrate of Sylhet District. He went on to serve as Vice Chairman and than Chairman of Sylhet Local Board. In

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

, he was elected to the Assam Legislative Assembly. He was involved in the

1947 Sylhet referendum The 1947 Sylhet referendum was held in the Sylhet District of the Assam Province of British India to decide whether the district would remain in Undivided Assam and therefore within the post-independence Dominion of India, or leave Assam for Ea ...

that saw Sylhet rejoin with East Bengal. Chowdhury joined the

East Pakistan Muslim League East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...

and served as the President of Sylhet District Muslim League. In 1965, he was elected to East Pakistan Provincial Assembly. Chowdhury was made the President of Bangladesh Nationalist Party Sylhet unit in 1979. Chowdhury was elected to parliament from Sylhet-7 as a Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate in 1979. He was a State Minister in the Cabinet of President Ziaur Rahman. He wrote mystical poems and songs like his grandfather. He founded the Dewan Taimur Raja Trust with support from Islami Bank.

Personal life

Chowdhury was married to Shaila Ahsanullah of the Dhaka Nawab Family. She was a daughter of Nawabzada Khwaja Ahsanullah, the youngest son of Nawab Salimullah. Begum Ahsanullah was his wife's stepmother.

Death

Chowdhury died on 14 December 1997.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowdhury, Dewan Taimur Bangladesh Nationalist Party politicians 1917 births 1997 deaths 2nd Jatiya Sangsad members Politicians from British India Pakistani politicians Sylhet Government Alia Madrasah alumni Assam MLAs 1946–1952