Anwar Choudhury
Encyclopedia
Anwar Choudhury is the Director of International Institutions at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. He was a High Commissioner
to Bangladesh
, and was the first British Head of Mission to be of Bangladeshi
origin. 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
).
, and moved from Bangladesh
to the United Kingdom
when he was young. His main interests include radical change within the government and the potential of the information revolution for the developing world economies. He is married with two children, and his hobbies include playing cricket
, bridge and Bangladeshi cuisine.
in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Salford
in 1985. Choudhury worked at Siemens Plessey
, before entering the civil service
as an engineering strategist with the RAF
. He graduated with an MBA
from Durham University
in 1995. He was promoted through the Ministry of Defence
, until 2000, when he was recruited by the Cabinet Office
, before being headhunted
for the position as High Commissioner to Bangladesh. 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).
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. The reason is yet unknown. Three attackers were sentenced to death
for the attack.
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
to Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, and was the first British Head of Mission to be of Bangladeshi
British Bangladeshi
A British Bangladeshi is a person of Bangladeshi origin who resides in the United Kingdom having emigrated to the UK and attained citizenship through naturalisation or whose parents did so; they are also known as British Bengalis...
origin. Although born in Sylhet Division
Sylhet Division
Sylhet Division , also known as Greater Sylhet or Sylhet region, is the northeastern division of Bangladesh, named after its main city, Sylhet...
, in north-eastern Bangladesh, he is a naturalised British citizen
British nationality law
British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom that concerns citizenship and other categories of British nationality. The law is complex because of the United Kingdom's former status as an imperial power.-History:...
; Choudhury has dismissed suggestions of a conflict of loyalty, stating that he would support the English cricket team
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
against Bangladesh
Bangladeshi cricket team
The Bangladesh national cricket team is a national cricket team representing Bangladesh. The team is administered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board . Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status...
(see: Cricket test
Cricket test
The cricket test or Tebbit test was a controversial phrase coined in April 1990 by the Conservative politician Norman Tebbit in referring to the 'loyalty' or 'lack of loyalty' of immigrants and their children from certain parts of Asia and the Caribbean to the England cricket team...
).
Biography
Choudhury was born in Bangladesh, his family is originally from Provakorpur, Jagannathpur, SunamganjSunamganj District
The district of Sunamganj consists 3562 mosques, 560 temples and 61 churches.-History:The name Sunamganj is derived from its founder, Sipahi Sunamuddin, who established a bazaar on the bank of the river Surma. In the ancient period, Sunamganj was part of the Rarh Kingdom that included Sylhet,...
, and moved from Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
when he was young. His main interests include radical change within the government and the potential of the information revolution for the developing world economies. He is married with two children, and his hobbies include playing cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, bridge and Bangladeshi cuisine.
Diplomatic Service
He followed an unusual route to the Diplomatic Service; he attained a BScBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Salford
University of Salford
The University of Salford is a campus university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students. The main campus is about west of Manchester city centre, on the A6, opposite the former home of the physicist, James Prescott Joule and the Working Class...
in 1985. Choudhury worked at Siemens Plessey
Siemens Plessey
Siemens Plessey was the name given to the Plessey businesses acquired by Siemens in 1989. Plessey, a British-based international electronics, defence and telecommunications company, was at the time the second largest defence electronics contractor to the Ministry of Defence and the largest supplier...
, before entering the civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
as an engineering strategist with the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. He graduated with an MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
in 1995. He was promoted through the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
, until 2000, when he was recruited by the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
, before being headhunted
Recruitment
Recruitment refers to the process of attracting, screening, and selecting qualified people for a job. For some components of the recruitment process, mid- and large-size organizations often retain professional recruiters or outsource some of the process to recruitment agencies.The recruitment...
for the position as High Commissioner to Bangladesh. He was succeeded in 2008 by Stephen Evans
Stephen Evans (diplomat)
Stephen Evans CMG OBE is the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, a post he took up in June 2008 in succession to Anwar Choudhury....
. 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
Alp Mehmet
Alp Mehmet is a former British diplomat and one of the United Kingdom's first two ethnic minority ambassadors, along with Anwar Choudhury....
, who was appointed Ambassador to Iceland).
Grenade attack
On 21 May 2004, he was targeted in a failed grenadeGrenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
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
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
, his home province, following Friday prayers. The reason is yet unknown. Three attackers were sentenced to death
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
for the attack.