A-Soldier-s-Debt---AUTHOR-BIO

Lieutenant Colonel Rashed Chowdhury (Retired)

A military officer turned diplomat, Rashed Chowdhury was born in then East Bengal at a time when the British were quitting India. Enduring a difficult childhood and struggling through adolescent life, he joined the military in 1963. As a young army captain in Pakistan in 1971, Mr. Chowdhury switched his loyalties from Pakistan to Bangladesh after learning about the military's killings of and brutality to the people of his community in East Pakistan. In a daredevil drive through Pakistani defenses, he escaped from Lahore in West Pakistan and reached the Bangladesh warfront to fight for his country's independence. His valor did not go unnoticed; he won a gallantry award. As a Lieutenant Colonel in 1976, Chowdhury moved to the Foreign Ministry and served as his country's representative for 20 years in the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Fareast and Latin America.

Married to a devoted wife for more than 42 years, Rashed and his spouse have two wonderful sons. Mr. Chowdhury enjoys the retired life reading, writing, traveling, gardening, spending time in the gym, watching interesting TV programs, and taking pleasure in tolerating the tantrums of "three brats" -- his lovely and endearing grandkids. It is for them and the children of future generations that he hopes his memoir will inspire the drive for peace.

# # #