Dhaka: Veteran politician, Awami League presidium member and former agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury has passed away (innalillahi wa inna ilahi raji'un).
She died on Wednesday (October 16) afternoon while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital. She was 82 years old.
Matia Chowdhury's maternal uncle former minister Mustafa Jamal Haider confirmed the news.
Matia Chowdhury was born on June 30, 1942 in Pirojpur district. Her father Mohiuddin Ahmed Chowdhury was a police officer and mother Nurjahan Begum was a housewife. On June 18, 1964, Matia Chowdhury got married to the famous journalist Bazlur Rahman.
While a student at Eden College, she became involved with Chhatra Union, a progressive student body. Matia Chowdhury was the organizer of the strong student movement against the Hamdur Rahman Education Commission in 1962.
After being admitted to Dhaka University in 1963, she was elected as the Vice-President of Rokeya Hall Student Council. In the following year, she was elected as the general secretary of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union or DACSU. In 1965, when the student union split due to ideological reasons, Matia Chowdhury was elected as the president of one section. Rashed Khan Menon became the president of the other part. As such the student union came to be known as Matia Group and student union Menon Group.
Matia Chowdhury was known as 'Agnikanya' among the students because of her fiery speeches. Matia Chowdhury joined the National Awami Party under the leadership of Prof. Mozaffar Ahmad in 1967 after completing her student life. She quickly gained wide fame in political circles due to her speeches.
In 1969, when Ayub Khan was overthrown by popular uprising, many political prisoners including Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were released from prison. Matia Chowdhury also got out of jail and became active in field of politics again.
Liberation War of Bangladesh is a significant event in the life of Bengalis. Matia Chowdhury actively participated in the liberation war. She played the role of an organizer in forming a joint guerrilla force of the NAP-Communist Party-Student Union. After the liberation war, she did the politics of reconstruction of the war-torn country through NAP.
Matia Chowdhury has never deviated from the politics of Bangladesh's four state principles-democracy, socialism, secularism and nationalism. Leftist politicians had good relations with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In that sequence, Matia Chowdhury was also in his favorite list. In 1975, when Bangabandhu formed Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League or Baksal, Matia Chowdhury was placed in its 115-member central committee.
She joined Awami League in 1979. She became the agriculture secretary of the party. Matia Chowdhury served as the Agriculture Minister during the Awami League regime in 1996, 2009 and 2013. She is currently a member of the presidium of Awami League. When Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury died in the 11th Jatiya Sangsad, Matia Chowdhury was elected as the deputy leader of the Jatiya Sangsad. She performed the same duty in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad.