June 1982 – September 1984
Born in 1928 in Sylhet, Mr. Humayun Rashid Choudhury received his education in Aligarh Muslim University. After graduation in 1947, Humayun Rasheed studied for the English Bar and became a member of the Inner Temple in London. He joined the Pakistan Foreign Service in 1953 and received extensive training in the Pakistan Foreign Office and other government departments as well as in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. He obtained also obtained graduation degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Massachusetts, United States.
During his diplomatic career, he held various assignments in Rome, Baghdad, Paris Lisbon, Jakarta and New Delhi. He served as the Chief of the Bangladesh Mission in New Delhi in 1971-1972 during which he negotiated the recognition of Bangladesh by over 40 countries. He was the first Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1972, a post he held until 1976 having concurrent accreditation to Switzerland, Austria and the Holy See. He was also the first Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
Mr. Chowdhury was also the first Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with concurrent accreditation to Jordan and Oman. He served as Foreign Secretary from 1981-1982. He was appointed Ambassador to the United States in June 1982.
Mr. Choudhury served as country’s Foreign Minister from 1985-86. During the period, he was elected president of the 41st session of the UN General Assembly in 1985. He was elected a member of the National Parliament in 1986, 1988 and 1996. In 1996, he was elected Speaker of the Parliament.
In 1984 he was awarded the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize by the University of William and Mary, Virginia, United States, in recognition of his contribution to world peace through his diplomatic activities.
