Hasina chooses Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury as Chittagong AL’s acting president

Sheikh Hasina has appointed Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury acting president of the Chittagong Awami League, the position that fell vacant following the death of veteran politician ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury.

Mahtab served as vice-president of the committee until now. He is the son of late Zahur Ahmad Chowdhury, a close aide of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Zahur was one of the key organisers of the 1971 Liberation War in Chittagong.

His elder son Saifuddin Khaled Chowdhury died in the war.

“The leader chose my brother Mahtab for the post considering our family’s role in Chittagong’s politics,” Zahur’s youngest son Sharfuddin Chowdhury Raju told bdnews24.com.

“The vice-president is supposed to fill up the post in case it fall vacant. So Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury will perform the duties from now on,” said Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury Nowfel, son of late Mohiuddin Chowdhury and organising secretary of Awami League central committee.

The Awami League announced the Chittagong committee in 2013 for three years. Current Chittagong Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin was made the general secretary of the committee.

The majority of the 71-strong committee were followers of Mohiuddin. ‘Anti-Mohiuddin’ leaders Afsarul Amin and Nurul Islam BSc got the posts of vice-president.

In a meeting held on Dec 15, senior leaders of the committee decided that Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury will be elevated to the post of president. Subsequent vice-presidents will fill in, if need be.

“The followers of the general secretary were not satisfied with the decision at first but later they accepted it,” a senior leader had told bdnews24.com.

Mahtab chaired a discussion of the Chittagong Awami League marking the Victory Day the next day.