New Delhi: Veteran politician Nitai Roy Chowdhury has taken oath as a minister in the new government led by Tarique Rahman on Tuesday. This marks a notable moment in Bangladesh’s political landscape. He is a senior leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and is the only Hindu face in the 50-member cabinet.
His induction has drawn attention not just because of his long political career but also because minority representation has often been a sensitive issue in Bangladesh. While portfolios are yet to be assigned, Roy Chowdhury is among the 25 cabinet-rank ministers in the new administration.
In the recent February 12 election to the Jatiya Sangsad, he won from the Magura-2 constituency on a BNP ticket, defeating a candidate from Jamaat-e-Islami by a comfortable margin.
Who is Nitai Roy?
Nitai Roy Chowdhury was born in 1949 in Magura district and studied at Magura Government College before moving to the University of Dhaka, where he pursued law. It was during his university days that he became actively involved in politics.
He first entered Parliament in 1988 from Magura-2. In 1990, he briefly served as Minister of Youth and Sports in the government led by Hussain Muhammad Ershad.
After the fall of the Ershad regime, he joined the BNP and rose through the ranks to become a Vice Chairman of the party’s central committee, which is a key decision-making body. Apart from politics, he is also a practising lawyer and has remained active in public life for decades.
A vocal critic of the Awami League
Roy Chowdhury has been an outspoken critic of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government. In past interviews, he even accused the previous regime of failing to protect minority communities’ rights and even blamed it for incidents of communal violence.
At the same time, he also spoke about the importance of stable ties with India stating that Bangladesh’s prosperity is closely linked to regional cooperation. His remarks have often presented a softer and more pragmatic face of the BNP, especially on foreign relations.
Family roots in politics and law
Politics runs in Nitai Chowdhary’s family. His daughter, Nipun Roy Chowdhury, is an active BNP leader and part of the party’s executive committee. She is married to Amitav Roy, who is the son of senior BNP figure Gayeshwar Chandra Roy.
His son, Debasish Roy Chowdhury, serves as a judge in the High Court of Bangladesh, while his other son, Mithun, stays away from active politics.
With minorities forming a shrinking percentage of Bangladesh’s population over the decades, Roy Chowdhury’s presence in the cabinet sends a political message. Whether it translates into policy shifts remains to be seen but for now, his appointment stands out in the new government’s line-up.