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Shams Chowdhury

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Brigadier General (retd)Shams Chowdhury
Personal details
BornAugust 3, 1966
Mirsharai, Chattogram
Military service
Allegiance Bangladesh
Branch/service
Years of service1984-2019
RankBangladesh-army-OF-6 Brigadier General
UnitArmored Core
Commands
  • Director, NSI
  • Director, SSF
  • Zone Commander, BGB

Brigadier General Shams Chowdhury, full name Md. Shamsul Alam Chowdhury, is a former Bangladesh army officer.

Early Life and Education

Born on August 3, 1966, in the prominent Abu Bhuiyan family of Mirsharai, Shams is the eldest son of devout parents. He began his military career in 1984 as a cadet at the Bangladesh Military Academy and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Armored Corps in 1986. He holds an MBA from George Washington University, USA.

Career

Commissioned into the Armored Corps in 1986, he participated in United Nations peacekeeping missions as a Military Observer in Bosnia and Croatia (1995-96) and as a Staff Officer at the UN Force Headquarters in Liberia (2005-06). Domestically, he held the position of Zone Commander in the Chhota Harina Zone of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) in Rangamati in 2008. He served as Director of both the Special Security Force (SSF) and the National Security Intelligence (NSI) under the Prime Minister's Office. Notably, he survived the 2009 BDR mutiny at Pilkhana. He retired as a Brigadier General in 2019.

Post-Military Career

Shams served as a diplomat at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, D.C. Currently, he is involved in construction and export businesses.

Role in BDR Carnage

During court proceedings regarding the 2009 BDR mutiny at Pilkhana, defence counsel accused prosecution witness Col.(then) Shams of orchestrating the carnage. Defence lawyer Amdadul Hoque Lal alleged that Sham's leadership during the event earned him a favorable posting and questioned why key officers of the 44 Rifles Battalion, which Shams commanded, were unharmed. Shams refuted these claims, attributing his survival to divine intervention.

He had previously testified as the fourth prosecution witness, detailing the events of the mutiny, including processions of rebel soldiers and his escape. He was also cross-examined for four hours, during which the defence claimed he falsely implicated an accused sepoy following a prior dispute, a claim he denied.

Personal Life

Shams is married to Naznin Akhter. They have two sons. Chowdhury Shihab Bin Shams, General Manager at an IT company in Virginia, USA and Chowdhury Talha Bin Shams, a medical student in Canada.

  1. "Brigadier General Shams Chowdhury". www.khabarica24.com. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  2. "Most officers killed by 11 in the morning". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
  3. "Brigadier General Shams Chowdhury". www.khabarica24.com. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  4. "Two processions entered Pilkhana during mutiny". The Daily Star. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  5. "Witness faces accusation". The Daily Star. Retrieved 27 October 2011.