Anwar Choudhury

Not to be confused with Anwar Chowdhry.
Anwar Choudhury
Native name আনোয়ার চৌধুরী
Born Anwar Bokth Choudhury
15 June 1959
Provakorpur, Jagannathpur, Sunamganj, Sylhet Division, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
Residence Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England
Nationality Bangladeshi
Ethnicity Bengali
Citizenship British
Education BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
Master of Business Administration,
Doctor of Science
Alma mater University of Salford
Durham University
Occupation Diplomat
Employer Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Known for Former British High Commissioner to Bangladesh
Religion Islam
Spouse(s) Momina Choudhury
Children 3

Anwar Choudhury (Bengali: আনোয়ার চৌধুরী; born 15 June 1959) is British diplomat, the UK Ambassador to Peru, being the first senior British Ambassador of Asian origin. He was formerly the Director of International Institutions at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. He was a High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Although born in Sylhet Division, in north-eastern Bangladesh, he is a naturalised British citizen; Choudhury has dismissed suggestions of a conflict of loyalty, stating that he would support the English cricket team against Bangladesh (see: Cricket test).[1]

Early life

Choudhury was born in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). His family is originally from Prabhakarpur, Jagannathpur, Sunamganj, and moved to the United Kingdom when he was young.[2]

Education

Choudhury followed an unusual route to the Diplomatic Service; in 1985, he attained a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Salford. Choudhury worked at Siemens Plessey, before entering the civil service as an engineering strategist with the Royal Air Force. In 1995, he graduated with an Master of Business Administration from Durham University.[3]

Career

Choudhury was promoted through the Ministry of Defence, until 2000, when he was recruited by the Cabinet Office, before being headhunted for the position of High Commissioner to Bangladesh.[1] He was succeeded in 2008 by Stephen Evans. When he was appointed as High Commissioner to Bangladesh in 2004, he became one of the first two British ambassadors from ethnic minority backgrounds to be appointed (the other being Alp Mehmet, who was appointed Ambassador to Iceland).[4]

Grenade attack

On 21 May 2004, Choudhury was targeted in a failed grenade attack, in which he was wounded and two bystanders were killed. The attempted assassination came as he was leaving the Dargah-e-Shah Jalal mosque in Sylhet, his home province, following Friday prayers. Three attackers were sentenced to death for the attack.[5]

Personal life

Choudhury's main interests include folk music of bengal (baul). He's also passionate about community integration and proyection of the UK abroad. He is married to Momina Choudhury, has two daughters and a son, and he has three brothers. His hobbies include playing cricket, bridge and Bangladeshi cuisine.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Roy, Amit (15 December 2003). "Bangladeshi-born Briton for Dhaka". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 March 2005. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Profile: Anwar Choudhury". BBC News. 21 May 2004. Archived from the original on 27 December 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
  3. ↑ "Ethnic Minorities in Britain" (PDF). Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 June 2006. Retrieved 22 June 2006.
  4. ↑ "Foreign and Commonwealth Office Race Equality Scheme 2005–2008". London: Foreign and Commonwealth Office. p. 5. Archived from the original on 25 September 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "Three to die for UK envoy attack". BBC News. 23 December 2008. Archived from the original on 24 December 2008. Retrieved 23 December 2008.

External links

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
David Carter		 High Commissioner to Bangladesh
2004—2008 		Succeeded by
Stephen Evans