Former commerce minister and BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has been appointed as the finance minister.
Serving in the cabinet of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Khosru’s appointment is being described as a reflection of his father Mahmudunnabi Chowdhury, who held prominent ministerial roles in the mid-1950s.
Mahmudunnabi served two terms as a provincial minister in the United Front cabinet led by Abu Hossain Sarkar between 1955 and 1956. His portfolios included the Ministry of Public Relations and, subsequently, the Ministry of Relief and Rehabilitation.
Khosru’s own parliamentary career began in 1991 when he won the by-election for the Chittagong-8 seat, which had been vacated by then-BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
He was successfully re-elected in 1996 and 2001, later serving as the Minister for Commerce in Khaleda Zia’s 2001 cabinet. In the recent elections for 13th National Parliament, he was elected from the Chittagong-11 constituency.
The parallel between the two generations extends to their contributions to Chattogram’s commercial development. Mahmudunnabi Chowdhury was one of the founding members of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industries in 1962.
Similarly, Khosru established himself as a founder of the Chittagong Stock Exchange in 1995.
Educationally, both father and son are alumni of Chittagong College. Mahmudunnabi Chowdhury obtained his BSc degree in 1934 during the Bengal Presidency era of British India.
Amir Khosru graduated from the same institution in 1969 before moving to the United Kingdom to complete higher studies in Accounting. Upon his return, he joined his father’s business.
Mahmudunnabi Chowdhury’s entry into national politics occurred in 1953 when he joined Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq’s Krishak Sramik Party (KSP).
He won the 1954 East Pakistan Legislative Assembly election as a United Front candidate from the Double Mooring-Sitakunda seat in Chattogram.
