Zakia Chowdhury: Tale of Bangladesh’s first female secretary
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Splash
    • Videos
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Thursday
August 18, 2022

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Splash
    • Videos
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2022
Zakia Chowdhury: Tale of Bangladesh’s first female secretary

Pioneering Women

Ariful Islam Mithu
24 March, 2022, 08:30 am
Last modified: 24 March, 2022, 01:16 pm

Related News

  • 5 govt officials promoted to secretary post
  • 24 govt officials assigned to hospital duty for secretary’s ailing mother!
  • The tale of a Secretary from Uttar Goran
  • Md Habibur Rahman promoted as secretary
  • Former Secretary M A Rashid’s 32nd death anniversary Monday

Zakia Chowdhury: Tale of Bangladesh’s first female secretary

Zakia became the first female secretary of the country in 1997. She was posted in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in the same year. She stayed there till her retirement in 2001

Ariful Islam Mithu
24 March, 2022, 08:30 am
Last modified: 24 March, 2022, 01:16 pm
Zakia Akhter Chowdhury. Sketch: TBS
Zakia Akhter Chowdhury. Sketch: TBS

In 1968, when Zakia Akhter Chowdhury joined the civil service of Pakistan as an audit and accounts cadre officer, society still held the belief that the tasks of women are limited to household chores and family affairs. Zakia, however, was out to prove that deep-rooted social concept wrong.

"A section of society always had the belief that there is no point in sending women to school, let alone jobs," said Zakia, the first female secretary in Bangladesh civil service, during an interview with the Bangla daily Jugantor.

When she joined the Pakistan Civil Service, she never imagined that one day she would be promoted to secretary.

"It was a very different feeling because it was the biggest event in my career to be the first secretary of the country," she said. "Moreover, I was not from the administration cadre."

However, the time has changed now with more women leading different sectors from politics to bureaucracy to business. The number of women in the job market is also increasing at a fast rate.

But it was people like Zakia who led the way for generations to follow.

Zakia Akhter Chowdhury was born on 21 February 1944 in Sylhet. Her father Rashid Uddin Ahmed was a high-ranking government official in Assam's food division. Her mother Faijunessa was an educated homemaker. Zakia is the second among four sisters and two brothers.

She got her bachelor's and master's degree in political science from Dhaka University with first class distinctions. After completing her studies, she joined the same department as a lecturer. But she did not stay there for long. 

She soon decided to join the Civil Service of Pakistan. It was at a time when the participation of women in civil service was very rare. She joined the service as an audit and accounts cadre in 1968.

"There were 300 officers recruited in my batch and only two of us were women, and the other woman was from West Pakistan," Zakia said. 

But it was not that easy for her. The work place was not women-friendly, a concept that did not exist at the time. In most cases, her male colleagues did their best to make her comfortable. It was an eventful life and some fond moments still come to her mind.

A memorable one was what happened during her training period in Lahore. At that time, civil service cadres had to receive a two-year-long training in Lahore because there were no such training facilities in Dhaka. Her first child was only two-years-old when her training started in Lahore. As a result, she had to go to Pakistan, keeping her daughter with her mother in Bangladesh. During her training in Pakistan, she felt sad every now and then.

She had left her first child in Bangladesh and that worried her. Boredom also set in to such an extent that she considered quitting her job. Furthermore, there were no female officers in the dormitory building, let alone a female employee.

The director of the training academy used to talk to every one of them separately and hear their problems. One day, he asked her to meet him with an application.

"He gave me a letter and said that he has arranged the rest of my training in Dhaka. I was so happy that for a moment I could not speak," Zakia recalled. 

Then she came back to Dhaka to complete the rest of the training. She said that she would have quit the job if the director could not manage the training in Dhaka. 

She also always remembers the inspiration and cooperation she got from her father, husband Khalid Chowdhury as well as her senior and junior colleagues.

"Now there is a network of working women and I miss it a lot," said Zakia. "In our time, society was active in keeping women at home."

Then there was a conflict between work and career. It has changed now. Now, women are competing with their male colleagues, she added.

Zakia became the first female secretary of the country in 1997. She was posted in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in the same year. She stayed there till her retirement in 2001.

Her husband Khalid Chowdhury, who worked for a multinational company, is now retired too. Her two daughters are working at Chicago University after studying there.

Top News

Zakia Chowdhury / secretary

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Eight more banks make unusual gains from forex dealings
    Eight more banks make unusual gains from forex dealings
  • The general view of the city from the top of a hill in Kabul, Afghanistan November 5, 2021. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra
    Huge explosion hits Kabul mosque, many casualties feared
  • Photo: TBS
    9 arrested over BRT girder crash

MOST VIEWED

  • Rebecca, the country’s first female filmmaker
    Rebecca, the country’s first female filmmaker
  • Zohra Kazi. Sketch: TBS
    First Bangalee Muslim physician Zohra Kazi inspired many, served everyone
  • Beauty Akhter. Sketch: TBS
    Sailing through adversities: Story of country’s first female seafarer
  • Nasim Firdaus. Illustration: TBS
    Nasim Firdaus: Meet country’s first female career diplomat
  • Dr Madhabi Islam. Sketch: TBS
    Madhabi Islam: First female to lead Atomic Energy Commission
  • Sketch: TBS
    The first 3 female Buet engineers who broke the glass ceiling

Related News

  • 5 govt officials promoted to secretary post
  • 24 govt officials assigned to hospital duty for secretary’s ailing mother!
  • The tale of a Secretary from Uttar Goran
  • Md Habibur Rahman promoted as secretary
  • Former Secretary M A Rashid’s 32nd death anniversary Monday

Features

Photo: Collected

Which Nintendo Switch should you switch to?

1d | Brands
Photo: Collected

Welcome to the age of glass facades

1d | Habitat
Photo: Mumit M/TBS

Why artificial oyster reefs are the answer to our coastal embankments problems

1d | Panorama
Illustration: TBS

Anwar Group: From comb maker to owner of 20 companies

1d | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Vivo to bring new phone with 'special features'

Vivo to bring new phone with 'special features'

3h | Videos
Can Bangladesh buy fuel oil from Russia?

Can Bangladesh buy fuel oil from Russia?

4h | Videos
Sony launches 'Playstation Backbone' for iPhones

Sony launches 'Playstation Backbone' for iPhones

5h | Videos
High cost of baby food a problem for people with limited income

High cost of baby food a problem for people with limited income

5h | Videos

Most Read

1
From left Afzal Karim, Murshedul Kabir and Mohammad Jahangir
Banking

Sonali, Agrani and Rupali banks get new MDs

2
Photo: TBS
Bangladesh

5 crushed to death as BRT girder falls on car in Uttara

3
Dollar price drops by Tk8 in kerb market
Economy

Dollar price drops by Tk8 in kerb market

4
Representational Image. Photo: Collected
Bangladesh

Air passengers should plan extra commute time to airport: DMP

5
Dollar crisis: BB orders removal of 6 banks’ treasury chiefs 
Banking

Dollar crisis: BB orders removal of 6 banks’ treasury chiefs 

6
Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh Nathalie Chuard. Photo: Courtesy
Bangladesh

Bangladesh never asked for particular info from Swiss bank: Ambassador

EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2022
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net