Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury

Choudhury was born in the village of Ulania, Mehendiganj, Barisal, Bengal Province, British Raj.[1] He graduated from Dhaka University in 1959 and came to England on 5 October 1974.[2][3]

Choudhury's father, Hazi Wahed Reza Choudhury, was a landlord and freedom fighter of British India. He was the president of Barisal District Congress and a member of the All India Congress Working Committee. His father was imprisoned in 1942 August Movement. He served as secretary to Motilal Nehru. Zohra Khatun was Choudhury's mother.[2][3]

They are three brothers and five sisters, Ali Reza Choudhury (Mehdi) his younger brother, Hossain reja Choudhury his elder brother. His sisters name is; Manik bibi choudhury, Laili Khatun choudhury, Saleha Khatun choudhury, Masuma Begum choudhury and his younger sister name Fazilatun Nesa Choudhury.

Before moving to the United Kingdom, Choudhury worked as a journalist in different national newspapers in Dhaka. During the 1971 Bangladeshi Liberation War, he worked for Joy Bangla, Jugantar and Anandabazar Patrika.[2][3]

He is perhaps best known for writing the lyrics to Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano which is recognised as the most influential song of Bengali Language Movement and was initially set to music by him. Later, however, Altaf Mahmud's composed music and adapted the song. It has been regarded by listeners of BBC Bengali Service as the third best song in Bengali.[2][3][4]

In the UK, Choudhury founded the newspaper Notun Din. He has written 35 five books. He lives in London from where he regularly writes columns in national Bangladeshi dailies, in Bengali newspapers of Bangladeshi community and in a daily paper in Kolkata.[2][3]

Some of his notable works are "Dan Pithe Shawkat", "Chandrodwiper Upakhyan", "Nam Na Jana Bhore", "Nil Jamuna", "Shesh Rajanir Chand", "Polashi Thekey Dhanmondi", "Bastobotar Nirikhey" and others.[5][6]

Choudhury has produced a film on the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called Polashi theke Dhanmondi.[2][3] It was reported in 2008, that he was due to produce the film The Poet of Politics about the life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.[7][8]

Choudhury has received numerous awards including Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1967, Ekushey Padak, UNESCO literary Award, Bangabandhu Award, Shanghati Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008, Sadhinota Padak in 2009. In the same year, The Daily Ittefaq honoured him with Manik Miah Padak.[2][3][5][6] In 2014, he was awarded the PIB-Sohel Samad Memorial Award.[9][10]

He is a freeman of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Choudhury came to the United Kingdom for the treatment of his wife and could not return to Bangladesh for 22 years after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.[2][3] On 18 December 2012, Choudhury's wife Selima Choudhury died in London. They had one son and four daughters.[11] Their son, Anupam, works for Reuters, and their four daughters are Tanima, Chinmoyee, Binita and Indira.[2][3]

• British Bangladeshi
• List of British Bangladeshis

• Abdul Gaffar Choudhury on Facebook
• Protests for the Mother Tongue. BBC World Service. 21 February 2014