Ex-army officer Masud Uddin Chowdhury, prominent during ‘1/11’, arrested

Masud Uddin Chowdhury, a former army officer widely discussed during the 2007–08 Bangladeshi political crisis and a former Member of Parliament from Feni-3 (Sonagazi–Daganbhuiyan), has been arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

He was arrested late Monday night from his residence in Baridhara DOHS in the capital.

Confirming the matter to Prothom Alo on Tuesday morning, DMP’s DB chief Shafiqul Islam said that there are around five cases filed against Masud Uddin Chowdhury.

Masud Uddin Chowdhury served as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Army’s 9th Division in 2007. He played a key role in the political transition during the ‘1/11’ period.

At the time, he was appointed coordinator of the National Coordination Committee on Combating Serious Crimes. He was later promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General. The anti-corruption drives during that period were conducted under this committee.

In 2008, he was appointed Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Australia. The subsequent Awami League government extended his tenure three times.

After retirement, he became involved in multiple businesses in Dhaka, including the restaurant sector.