Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury

Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury
Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury
সৈয়দা সাজেদা চৌধুরী
Member of Parliament; for Faridpur-2
	In office; 12 February 2008 – 11 September 2022
Preceded by	KM Obaidur Rahman
Succeeded by	Shahdab Akbar Chowdhury
	In office; 5 March 1991 – 4 November 1995
Preceded by	Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jewel
Succeeded by	Abul Hossain Mia
Minister of Forest and Environment
	In office; 23 June 1996 – 15 July 2001
Preceded by	Akbar Hossain
Succeeded by	Shajahan Siraj
Personal details
Born	Syeda Sajeda; 8 May 1935; Magura, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died	11 September 2022 (aged 87); Dhaka, Bangladesh
Nationality	Bangladeshi
Political party	Bangladesh Awami League
Spouse	Golam Akbar Chowdhury
Children	Shahdab Akbar Chowdhury (son)
Relatives	Syed Qamarul Ahsan (uncle); Syed Rahmatur Rob Irtiza Ahsan (cousin);
Occupation	Politician

Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury (8 May 1935 – 11 September 2022) was a Bangladeshi politician. She served as a Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Faridpur-2 constituency from 2008 till her death in 2022. She also served as the Environment and Forest Minister of Bangladesh during 1996–2001.^[1]

Early life and family

Syeda Sajeda was born on 8 May 1935 in her maternal home in Magura (formerly under Jessore District) in the then Bengal Presidency in British India.^[2] Both of her parents, Syed Shah Hamidullah and Syeda Asiya Khatun, were Bengali Muslims of Syed extraction.^[3] Her paternal grandmother, Syeda Hamidunnesa, belonged to a Bengali Muslim zamindar family known as the Syeds of Bamna based in Barguna.^[4]

Chowdhury had a bachelor's degree.^[5]

Political career

Chowdhury became the Jatiya Sangsad member from the Faridpur-2 constituency in 2008, being re-elected in 2014 and 2018,.^[6] She became the Deputy Leader of the House of Jatiya Sangsad on 12 February 2019 for the third consecutive term.^[7]^[8]

Chowdhury became the deputy leader of the House of Bangladesh Parliament in February 2009.^[9] She is only woman politician who served as General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League from 1986 and held the position till 1992. Since then she was inducted into the Presidium.^[10]

Chowdhury was awarded Independence Day Award in 2010 by the Government of Bangladesh.^[11]

Corruption allegation

On 10 July 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against Chowdhury over concealing wealth worth Tk 1.38 million and amassing it illegally.^[12]^[13] Chowdhury denied the allegation.^[14] On 18 November 2008, Bangladesh High Court stayed the proceedings against her in the case which was again upheld by the Supreme Court on 15 February 2010.^[12] She was granted bail by the High Court.^[15] On 29 November 2010, High Court revoked the proceedings of the case on the grounds that the charges against Chowdhury were not specifically disclosed in the case.^[16]

Personal life

Syeda Sajeda married Golam Akbar Chowdhury (d. 2015).^[17] Their youngest son, Shahdab Akbar Chowdhury, was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment by a special court in 2008 for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in his wealth statement submitted to the ACC.^[18]^[19]

Chowdhury died from complications of COVID-19 in Dhaka on 11 September 2022 aged 87.^[20] After her death, her son, Shahdab, selected by Awami League, ran for the vacant parliamentary position in by-poll election held on 5 November 2022.^[19]