Altaf Hossain Chowdhury
Altaf Hossain Chowdhury is a Bangladeshi Air Force Officer and former Chief of Bangladesh Air Force Staff and Politician of Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He served as the Minister of Home Affairs and commerce from 2001 to 2006. He was a Member of the Jatiya Sangsad representing Patuakhali-1 constituency in the same period.
Military Career
Altaf started his career as a fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force, qualifying as a lead pilot in the Dassault Mirage III. In 1971, he was a flight lieutenant. He joined the Bangladesh Air Force in 1972 as a squadron leader after being released from detention by Pakistan. Between 1974 and 1977 he was instructor at the pilot training school. He was the chief of Bangladesh Air Force from 1991 to 1995.Political Career
After retiring from military service in 1994, he joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He went on to serve as a minister of different ministries and a member of the Jatiya Sangsad during the BNP-Jamaat administration from 2001 until 2006.Altaf served as the president of Patuakhali District BNP Unit in 2008. He lost both the 2008 and 2018 general elections to the Awami League candidate Shahjahan Mia. As of 2016, Altaf serves as the Vice Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Charges
Chowdhury was taken into custody of joint forces in May 2007 during the caretaker government's reign. The force seized a shotgun and a rifle, 99 bullets, 970 pieces of saree and 160 pieces of lungi of the government relief materials from his Patuakhali residence.On 18 December 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed a case against Chowdhury for concealing wealth information and amassing wealth worth beyond known sources of income. In April 2017, the High Court cleared the way for a lower court to resume the trial proceedings.
On 26 February 2008, the ACC filed another case accusing Khaleda Zia and 10 of her former cabinet members, including Chowdhury, of taking bribes in the Barapukuria coalmine deal. In December 2017, the High Court asked Chowdhury to surrender to a lower court within four weeks in this case.
On 11 June 2011, Chowdhury and Hafizuddin Ahmed were arrested and sent to jail in connection with an arson case. They were later freed on bail.