Abdur Rahman Biswas
Abdur Rahman Biswas was sworn in at the Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban on 9 October 1991. Acting Chief Justice Mohammad Habibur Rahman administered the oath of office to the newly elected President. Earlier on 8 October 1991, Biswas was elected President of the Republic by the JS. In the election that took place, Biswas polled 172 votes against Justice Badrul Hyder Chowdhury's 92 votes. President Biswas completed the term of five years and handed over Presidency to Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed on 9 October 1996.
Abdur Rahman Biswas was born in September 1926 at Shaistabad in Barisal sadar upazila. He received his early education at Barisal Zilla School. He passed both matriculation and intermediate examinations under the Kolkata University in first division. Biswas earned his B.A. (Honours) and M.A. degree in History from DU. He also obtained LL.B. from the same University. Abdur Rahman Biswas participated in the Language Movement and subsequently joined the Barisal Bar in 1955, and later enrolled himself as an Advocate of the Dhaka HC in 1959. He was elected a member of the EP Provincial Assembly in 1962 and in 1965 on the Muslim League ticket. Biswas was appointed a Parliamentary Secretary of the GOEP in 1965 and remained so till 1969.
After the liberation of the country, Biswas was elected President of Barisal Bar in 1974 and again re-elected in 1976. He was also elected chairman of Barisal Municipality in 1977. Biswas returned as a member of JS from Barisal Kotwali constituency on the BNP ticket in 1979. He was appointed a Cabinet Minister by President Ziaur Rahman and given the charge of the Ministry of Jute. He also served as a member of the Council of Ministers under President Abdus Sattar, and was assigned the charge of the Ministry of Health and Population Control. Biswas was elected to JS again in 1991, and became Speaker of the fifth JS by 187 to 97 division votes on 5 April 1991. He resigned as Speaker of JS to get the nomination of BNP to contest the presidential election.
During the period of the Non-party Caretaker Government in 1996, as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, President Biswas firmly dealt with a serious Army rebellion. He was compelled to sack the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Abu Saleh Mohammad Nasim on May 20, 1996 who dared to challenge the authority of a constitutional head of state. By doing so, he earned the esteem of the entire nation.
Professor Dr. A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury
Professor A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury was declared elected President of the Republic on 12 November 2001. The Chief Justice of the SC, Mr. Justice Mahmudul Amin Chowdhury, swore him in on 14 November 2001. Professor Badruddoza resigned from the presidency on 21 June 2002, showing respect to the decision of BNP's parliamentary party. Prior to his becoming President, he was the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh for one month and five days.
Badruddoza Chowdhury, the second son of a former Minister of EP, Kafil Uddin Chowdhury and Mrs. Sufia Khatun was born on 1 November 1932 in his maternal uncle's residence in Comilla. He hails from Majidpur Dayhata in Srinagar upazila of Munshiganj district. Badruddoza studied in St. Gregory High School, Dhaka College, and Dhaka Medical College and at the University of Wales in UK. He received post-graduate medical training in London, Cardiff and Edinburgh. He received TDD from Wales University in 1959 and MRCP from Edinburgh and Glasgow in 1961. He was elected FCPS (Bangladesh) as an Honorary Fellow in 1978; and Fellow to the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and Glasgow (FRCP).
Professor Chowdhury started his career as a physician and served the Rajshahi Medical College, Salimullah Medical College, Sylhet Medical College besides being an Honorary Professor at the Institute of Post-Graduate Medicine and Research, Dhaka. Author of a number of scientific papers, Professor Chowdhury was President of the National Anti-Tuberculosis Association of Bangladesh (NATAB) from 1974 till 1979. He is a former President of the International Union against Tuberculosis of Lung Diseases (IUATLD) of Asia Pacific Zone with headquarters in Paris. He was honoured with Swadhinata Puraskar (Independence Award) for distinguished contribution in the field of medical science in 1993.
Professor Chowdhury is also a renowned cultural personality of the country. He authored several plays, wrote essays, and is an orator of distinction. He received National Television Award in 1976. He was also President of Bangladesh-Egypt Friendship Society.
He joined BNP in 1978 and has been active in politics. He is the founder secretary general of BNP when Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman was its Chairman. Professor Chowdhury was elected MP five terms, from Munshiganj-1 constituency in 1979, 1991, 1996 (twice) and 2001 as a nominee of BNP. He was Senior Deputy Prime Minister of President Ziaur Rahman's Cabinet and was in charge of the Ministry of Health and Population. He was Minister of Education, Science, Technology, and Culture in the Cabinet of Begum Khaleda Zia in 1991. He was also Deputy Leader of the House in the second, fifth, sixth, and for sometime of the eighth JS; and Deputy Leader of the Opposition Parliamentary Party in the seventh Parliament (1996-2001).
Professor Badruddoza Chowdhury has severed all his connections with the BNP and floated a new political party by the name of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh. He became its Convenor on 11 March 2004.
Professor Badruddoza Chowdhury is married to Mrs. Hasina Chowdhury. He has two daughters, and one son. His son, Mahi B. Chowdhury is a Member of Parliament from Munshiganj-1 constituency from the newly - floated political party- Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh.
