Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury

Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury
মহিবুল হাসান চৌধুরী
Mohibul in 2018
Minister of Education
In office
11 January 2024 – 6 August 2024
Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina
Preceded byDipu Moni
Succeeded byWahiduddin Mahmud
Member of Parliament
In office
3 January 2019 – 6 August 2024
Preceded byZiauddin Ahmed Bablu
ConstituencyChittagong-9
Deputy Minister of Education
In office
7 January 2019 – 10 January 2024
Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina
Personal details
Born (1983-07-26) 26 July 1983 (age 41)
Chattogram, Bangladesh
Political partyBangladesh Awami League
SpouseEmma Clare Burton (m. 2007)
Parents
Alma mater
NicknameNowfel
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Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, commonly known as Nowfel, (born July 26, 1983) is a Bangladeshi politician. He was a member of the Awami League and one of the key cabinet ministers during Sheikh Hasina's regime.[1][2][3][4] Following politically motivated cases filed by the interim government of Bangladesh during the Student–People's uprising of 2024. Currently, he is in exile for his safety.[5][6][7][8][9][10]

He is a former minister of education, and a former member the national Parliament, from the constituency of Chittagong-9.[11][12] Nowfel is the eldest son of the late mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury.

Early life and education

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Chowdhury Nowfel was born in 26 July 1983 into the family of former Chittagong mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and Shaheda Mohiuddin.

He completed his schooling in Bangladesh before pursuing higher education abroad. Nowfel earned a joint bachelor's degree in law and anthropology from London School of Economics (LSE) and Bar Vocational Course from the University of Law.[13]

He was a member of Awami League's Chittagong City executive committee from 2012-2016 and was later promoted as an organising secretary.[14]

Career

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Chowdhury was elected to the Jatiya Sangsad on 30 December 2018 in 2018 general election from Chittagong-9 as a Bangladesh Awami League candidate.[15] He was appointed as the deputy minister of education in the 4th cabinet of Sheikh Hasina.[16]

From 2016 to 2019, Chowdhury held the position of Organising Secretary of the Awami League's Central Committee. During his tenure in the secretarial body, he helped win the Narayanganj City Corporation election in 2016 which was the first city election with direct political party nomination in Bangladesh. He was one of the youngest organising secretaries of Awami League and was credited for managing the party in important districts such as Gazipur, Faridpur, Kishoreganj, Shariatpur, Gopalganj, etc. which districts are considered Awami League heartlands.[17] On 25 June 2018, he apologized to Bangladesh Election Commission for violating electoral code of conduct.[18]

Chowdhury was a partner of The Legal Circle, and an advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh before his ministerial appointment.[19][20] On 27 December 2019, he was removed from central executive committee of Awami League as part of the party's strategy to separate the government from the party.[21]

Policy initiatives

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From 2022 Education Ministry of Bangladesh is introducing a new curriculum at the secondary level to make mandatory provisions for technical and vocational education. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Education Minister Dipu Moni and Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury is leading the transformation effort in light of the 2018 Awami League Election Manifesto. Bangladeshi Deputy Education Minister shared the government reformation plan with Anadolu Agency on 13 October 2021. To implement this plan new curriculum is being brought to transform the education sector into competency, skill and outcome-based education. The government plan includes producing skilled manpower, focusing on specialized universities and the importance of moral values in schooling. Mr Chowdhury said the existing education system in Bangladesh mostly fails to assess the skills and efficiency of students, "at the secondary level, we want to provide a minimum standard education in science, humanities, and business studies so that students can grow in line with a profession-based and Outcome-based education, with a reformed evaluation/assessment process " he continued.[22]

On 9 April 2021, Chowdhury said that the Bangladesh government might reconsider and cancel recognition of the highest degree from the Qwami Madrassa Board if the teaching of extreme religious interpretation is not regulated and basic academic standards are not met.[23]

Ministry of Education in Bangladesh was in the process of rolling out a TVET and STEAM based school curriculum to achieve the newly promoted political and economic objective, "Smart Bangladesh". Regarding the new curriculum, when he was Deputy Minister of Education Mohibul Chowdhury said there is a need to promote reading habits, implement continuous assessment methods and integrate essential soft skills and vocational education skills. Therefore conventional memory-based public exam-based assessments should be discarded and new curricullum should be implemented.[24]

One of the controversy in the proposed new curriculum was inclusion of third gender rights, reproductive health and mandatory science and maths education for all up to the age of 16. Staunchly secularist Mohibul defended inclusion of contents promoting rights of third gender and transgender people in textbooks after facing intense criticism from religious and political groups. [25] After protests about the inclusion of transgender Sharif's story in textbooks, Mohibul emphasised the importance of acknowledging legally recognised third gender community in society and ensuring that students are aware of this aspect of society. He had commented that this is just a rights issue of a gender minority but the conservative elements are trying to politicise the matter.[26]

Conservative religious leaders and pro Islamist academics have joined to remove educational contents seen as un-islamic and demanded release of university teacher Asif Mahtab who protested inclusion of third gender/transgender contents in textbooks.[27] Religious and right wing political parties along with some academics have demanded revision of the new curriculam as Bangladesh is a predominantly muslim country. The new Education Advisor Wahiduddin Mahmud of the 2024 interim government of Bangladesh, following ouster of Mohibul as Education Minister and the entire government of Sheikh Hasina, have decided to scrap the new curriculum in favour of the old curriculum of 2012. [28]

Controversies

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Some of the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, Jubo League and Awami League from Chattogong claim that Mohibul, whose nickname is Nowfel, is their current political mentor after his father ABM Mohiuddin Chowhdury has passed away. In Chittagong University, two factional groups of Chhatra League activists, who claim to be Mohibul's followers, calling them Chose Friends with Care (CFC) and Bijoy group, routinely attempt to dominate the campus against A J M Nasir Uddin backed VFX group.[29][30] Mohibul has vehemently distanced himself from such group formations in his name and everything that is done inappropriately using his name.[31]

Political analysts also have pointed out these political rifts between different groups in local politics of Chittagong dates back from the time of Mohibul's father ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu who led two factions and had disagreements with each other and Mohibul is merely blamed for something that was ongoing before he even joined politics.[32] Conflict and competition between AJM Nasir Uddin faction who claimed to have inherited Akhtaruzzaman Babu's faction and A. B. M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury followers has been on going for a long time.[33]

Factional divide in local Awami League that began in 1980s also exist in Chittagong Medical College Hospital amongst groups of Doctors and Medical professionals as well. In October 2021, a medical student claiming to belong to Mohibul supported group was so badly beaten by rival group belonging to AJM Nasir Uddin supported Dr Faisal Iqbal Chowdhoury group during a clash, that his skull cracked open.[34] Intern Doctors, medical students claiming to be his followers and followers of AJM NAsir Uddin clashed multiple times which caused serious injury to multiple members of the Chhatra League.[35] In July 2022 Intern Doctors who claim to be close to Mohibul alleged to have assaulted two nurses of Chittagong Medical College Hospital after they had trivial disagreement with Nurse leaders over care of burn injury patients as the nurses were not responding to doctor's & patients' call for help.[36]

Beside distancing himself from all criminal activities done in his or in his late father's name, Mohibul has frequently warned criminal elements within Chhatra League activists or those who claim to be part of the student organisation, as well as general students, that they will continue to face full academic and legal consequences if they continue their violent and criminal activities and he will never condone or support them.[37]

In February 2023, Avijit Das, a Chhatra League cadre/activist and a medical student along with his fellow students who were alleged to be unverified followers of Mohibul tortured 4 students of Chittagong Medical College to the extent that 2 of them were admitted in ICU.[38] Avijit admitted of 'quizzing' them only but journalists have found them in critical condition with marks all over the body. Mohibul never condoned the act, nor did he take any action despite being the education minister.[39] Following this incident Mohibul has condoned and criticized all criminal acts done using his or his political party's name in either the Chittagong Medical College or in any other institution and called for impartial investigation against all alleged crimina.[40]

In November 2020, during nationwide violent and fatal protests in Bangladesh led by Islamic fundamentalist groups like Hefazat-e-Islam, Islami Andolan and others, opposing the construction of sculptures and demanding demolitions in the wake of the building of a sculpture of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Mohibul warned extremist elements that his "Awami League government has the capacity to be inclusive by embracing you (rioters) along the shoulder, but if you cross the limit and continue to cause havoc, my government also has the capacity to twist your necks and eliminate you."[41]

References

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  1. ^ "Bangladesh mourns some 200 deaths as student protests wind down and thousands are arrested". AP News. 31 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Two cases filed against 23 people including Hasina for crimes against humanity". UNB. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  3. ^ "3 more ICT cases filed against Hasina". The Daily Star. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  4. ^ "2 more murder cases filed against Hasina -". The Daily Observer. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  5. ^ "Hasina, Nowfel, 32 others sued over killing of HSC examinee in Ctg". The Daily Star. 17 August 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Hasina, Nowfel among 34 accused in Chattogram student murder case". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Sheikh Hasina, Nowfel, 32 others sued in murder case". Prothom Alo. 17 August 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Hasina, Quader, Nowfel sued for student and teacher murder in Ctg, Bogura". The Business Standard. 17 August 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Murder case against 34 including Hasina-Nowfel". RTV. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Education Minister Was Supposed to Protect Students. His Men Killed Them". Netra News — নেত্র নিউজ. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Mohibul Hosain Chowdhury new education minister". The Business Standard. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Bangladesh wakes up to new uncertain future after PM Sheikh Hasina's dramatic resignation". BBC News. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Mohibul Hosain Chowdhury new education minister". The Business Standard. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  14. ^ "নওফেল সাংগঠনিক সম্পাদক হওয়ায় মিষ্টি বিতরণ". Banglanews 24 (in Bengali). 26 October 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Chattogram-9 - Constituency detail of Bangladesh General Election 2018". The Daily Star. 25 November 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  16. ^ "Oldest minister MA Mannan, youngest Nowfel". Dhaka Tribune. 8 January 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  17. ^ "Nowfel will continue to fulfill the expectations" (in Bengali). ekushey-tv.com. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  18. ^ "Noufel apologises to EC for violating poll code". The Daily Star. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Youth representative Barrister Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel" (in Bengali). sondesh24. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  20. ^ মহিউদ্দিন অনুসারীদের ভরসা এখন নওফেল [bn:Mohiuddin's followers are now rely on Nowfel]. Samakal (in Bengali). Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  21. ^ "9 ministers dropped from AL committee". The Daily Star. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  22. ^ "Bangladesh adopts competency-based schooling to support employment". Anadolu Agency. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  23. ^ "Govt may reconsider recognition of top Qawmi degree: Deputy education minister". The Daily Star. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  24. ^ "New Curriculum will help build Smart Bangladesh". The Business Standard. 2 April 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  25. ^ "Education Minister talks about concerns over transgender issue". Shomoy TV. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  26. ^ "Sharifa's story: Rumours being spread for political gain". Shomoy TV. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  27. ^ "Sheikh Ahmadullah seeks teacher Asif Mahtab's release". Shomoy TV. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  28. ^ "Will return to old curriculum as far as possible: education adviser". The Daily Star. 18 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  29. ^ "Tension grips Chittagong University". The Business Standard. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  30. ^ "BCL factions clashed again on CU campus". The Daily Star. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  31. ^ আমার কোনো গ্রুপ নেই, চবি ছাত্রলীগ নিয়ে নওফেল. Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 29 January 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  32. ^ Amin-al-Zaman (2004). Party Factionalism in Bangladesh: A Case Study of the Awami League (1971-97) (PDF) (PhD thesis). Aligarh Muslim University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  33. ^ "Mohiuddin, Nasir at loggerheads". The Daily Star. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  34. ^ "16 sued after two BCL factions clash at CMCH". Prothom Alo. 1 November 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  35. ^ "Tension runs high at CMC, CMCH". The Daily Observer. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  36. ^ "BCL men assault 2 CMCH nurses". The Daily Star. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  37. ^ চবিতে ছাত্রলীগের অবরোধ প্রত্যাহার. Deutsche Welle (in Bengali). 2 August 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  38. ^ "Tortured CMCH student Sakib would run family with tuition money". Prothom Alo. 11 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  39. ^ "4 students 'tortured' in CMC, 2 admitted to ICU". The Daily Star. 11 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  40. ^ "E-Dainik Purbokone" কারো অপরাধের দায় নেবেন না নওফেল. Daily Purbokone (in Bengali). Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  41. ^ বাড়াবাড়ি করবেন না, ঘাড় মটকে দেব. Sarabangla.net (in Bengali). 14 November 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
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