G. W. Choudhury
Golam Wahed Choudhury, also known as G W Choudhury was a diplomat of Pakistan. He opposed and acted against independence of Bangladesh in 1971. Due to this, he is regarded as rajakar (traitor) in Bangladesh.
Contents
British Period
He was born in 1926 at Madaripur, then British India, now Bangladesh then. His mother was the daughter of Ibrahim Saber, brother of Begum Rokeya. He obtained his BA (Hons) in 1945 and MA degree in 1946, both in Political science Calcutta University.
Pakistan Period
Later, he joined the Department of International Relations in Dhaka University, then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh as lecturer but in 1948 he moved to Department of Political science.
In 1956, he obtained his PhD from Columbia University, USA and continued to serve as a teacher in Dhaka University till 1967 when he joined the Director-General of the Research Division of Pakistan. G W Choudhury worked on Tashkent Declaration that ended the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965. He then served as Minister of Communications from 1969 to 1971, during this time he outlined plans for establishing a confederation between East and West Pakistan. He opposed independence of Bangladesh
Golam Azam claimed on his autobiography 'Jibone ja deklam' that, G W Choudhury has always kept close relationship with him.
Bangladesh Period
On closing days of surrender of Pakistan armyat 16 December 1971, G W Choudhury fled Bangladesh and went on exile to London. Bangladesh government cancelled both his and his wife's citizenship (stated by Golam Azam in his autobiography) together with other collaborators. After He however maintained relation with Pakistan. These times he was teaching on South Asia and Islam in various USA and UK universities. He wrote 14 books, including "The Last Days of United Pakistan".[1] After Assassination of Mujib, Ziaur Rahman came to power and returned their citizenship.
Golam Azam wrote in his autobiography 'Jibone ja deklam, 3rd knodo' that G W Choudhury first informed him on early morning of 15 August 1975 by telephone that Sheikh Mujib was killed.
After 15 years of exile, he returned to Dhaka at 1985 but later joined Columbia University, USA as an adjunct professor from. He taught there from 1988 to 1994 again on South Asia and Islam.
Death
At 71, he died 13 December 1998 at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C
Family
He created golam Mowla Faima Trust and established a number of charitable institutions in Madaripur district
his wife is Dilara Choudhury, a professor of political scientist at Jahangirnagar University, Savar and later North South University, Dhaka and he has two sons Golam Mabud, living in Warren, New Jersey, USA and Golam Sayeed of Baltimore, USA.
See also
Golam Azam
Footnotes
References
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/pr/96_99/19249.html
http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Choudhury,_Golam_Wahed
