Matia Chowdhury
মতিয়া চৌধুরী
Chowdhury in 2013
Minister of Agriculture
In office 6 January 2009 – 7 January 2019
Prime Minister	Sheikh Hasina
Preceded by	Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku
Succeeded by	Mohammad Abdur Razzaque
Member of Parliament for Sherpur-2
In office 25 January 2009 – 6 August 2024
Preceded by	Zahed Ali
In office 5 March 1991 – 13 July 2001
Preceded by	Abdus Salam
Succeeded by	Zahed Ali
Presidium Member of Bangladesh Awami League
In office 21 December 2021 – 16 October 2024
Personal details
Born	(1942-06-30)30 June 1942 Nazirpur, Pirojpur District, Bengal Province, British Raj
Died	16 October 2024(2024-10-16) (aged 82) Evercare Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Nationality	Bangladeshi
Party	Awami League
Spouse	Bazlur Rahman
Education	University of Dhaka

Matia Chowdhury (Bengali: মতিয়া চৌধুরী, romanized: Matiẏā caudhurī; 30 June 1942 – 16 October 2024) was a Bangladeshi politician and senior leader of the Bangladesh Awami League. A veteran of national politics, she was active in democratic and mass movements from the pre-independence period and served Bangladesh in parliamentary and ministerial roles for several decades.

She was a Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Sherpur-2 constituency between 1991 and 2001 and again from 2009 until 2024. Chowdhury also served as Deputy Leader of the House and held the office of Minister of Agriculture during multiple Awami League governments.

Matia Chowdhury was born on 30 June 1942 in Nazirpur, Pirojpur District, in the then Bengal Province of British India. She studied at the University of Dhaka, where she became actively involved in student politics and progressive movements advocating democracy and regional autonomy.

During the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, Chowdhury was associated with pro-liberation political activities. She supported the independence struggle through organisational, political, and mobilisation efforts and remained engaged in nation-building initiatives following Bangladesh’s independence.

Chowdhury began her formal political career through student and youth activism and later rose within the ranks of the Awami League. She was first elected to parliament in 1991 and went on to serve multiple terms as a legislator.

She was appointed Minister of Agriculture under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from 1996 to 2001 and again from 2009 to 2019. In this role, she focused on food security, agricultural research, farmer welfare, and rural development. Her tenure coincided with initiatives aimed at increasing crop production, promoting modern farming practices, and strengthening agricultural institutions.

In addition to her ministerial duties, she served as Deputy Leader of the House and later became a Presidium Member of the Awami League, reflecting her senior standing within the party.

Matia Chowdhury was widely regarded as one of the most prominent female politicians in Bangladesh. Her political life spanned the pre-independence era, the Liberation War, and the modern parliamentary period. She was known for her strong presence in parliament, organisational role within the Awami League, and long association with agricultural policy and rural development.

She died on 16 October 2024 in Dhaka.

Chowdhury was born on 30 June 1942 at Nazirpur of Pirojpur District. Her father, Mohiuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, was a police officer. She passed HSC from Dhaka Eden College. She later graduated from University of Dhaka.^[1]

Chowdhury began her political journey during her student years, actively engaging in movements against the Ayub regime and the Education Commission of 1962. In 1963, she served as the vice-president of the Dhaka Eden Girls College Students' Union and became the general secretary of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) in 1964–65. She played a significant role in various movements and protests, particularly during the liberation war, earning the nickname Ogni Konna or Girl of Fire due to her passionate speeches.^[2][3] She held the position of president of the East Pakistan Students' Union from 1965 to 1966. Between 1967 and 1969, she was involved in organizing the anti-Ayub movement and was imprisoned for approximately two years, being released during the mass uprising of 1969.^[4]

Chowdhury secured a parliamentary seat from Sherpur-2 as a candidate of the Awami League in 1991, receiving 47,886 votes, while her closest competitor, independent candidate professor Abdus Salam, garnered 34,644 votes.^[5] She was successful in the 1996 elections as well, receiving 63,574 votes against Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate Jahed Ali Chowdhury, who received 45,659 votes.^[5]

In the 2001 election, Chowdhury was defeated, receiving 99,661 votes compared to Zahed Ali Chowdhury's 102,545 votes.^[5] She returned to parliament in 2008, again from Sherpur-2 as an Awami League candidate, with 156,973 votes, while her nearest rival, Zahed Ali Chowdhury from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, received 75,637 votes.^[6]

Chowdhury criticized the World Bank for the slow release of funds in November 2009.^[7] In June 2010, she also criticized the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics for providing "inaccurate statistics" on rice production. She supposedly donated her inheritance from Bazlur Rahman to the Liberation War Museum to establish the Bazlur Rahman Award for reporting on the liberation war.^[8]

This "criticism" or "controversy" section may compromise the article's neutrality. Please help integrate negative information into other sections or remove undue focus on minor aspects through discussion on the talk page. (May 2025)

Chowdhury faced significant backlash following her remarks regarding the 2018 quota reform movement in Bangladesh. During an unscheduled discussion in parliament, Chowdhury questioned the legitimacy of the protesters' demands by asking whether the children of those who fought for the country's independence should be denied opportunities in civil service recruitment. She further provoked outrage by implying that the children of Razakars—collaborators with the Pakistani military during the Liberation War—might benefit from the quota system, stating, “Will the quota for the freedom fighters be shrunk for them?”^[9]

Her comments ignited a wave of criticism on social media, with many perceiving her statements as dismissive of the protesters' concerns. A faction of the quota reform movement at Dhaka University publicly demanded an apology rejecting any association with Razakars. Protesters expressed their anger by burning effigies of Chowdhury in front of the Raju Sculpture, a significant site for student activism.^[9][10]

The controversy escalated as students from Jahangirnagar University threatened to declare Chowdhury persona non-grata on their campus unless she issued a formal apology within three days.^[11] No such apology was issued until her death.

Chowdhury is one of the individuals named in the cases filed with the Investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh). The charges alleged that Chowdhury, along with other high-ranking officials, was involved in orchestrating and planning actions that led to the indiscriminate firing on unarmed students and civilians, resulting in fatalities. The legal proceedings are based on the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act of 1973, which addresses serious crimes such as genocide and crimes against humanity.^[12]

Matia Chowdhury died on 16 October 2024, while receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.^[1]

Following her death, CAO allegedly made the decision to deny her family's requests for a burial plot at the Mirpur Martyred Intellectual Graveyard, likely influenced by her involvement in the July massacre, resulting in her burial on top of her husband's grave.^[13]

• Bangladesh Parliament – Member Profile
• Cabinet Division – Government of Bangladesh