Binod Bihari Chowdhury
A quiet revolutionary who carried the spirit of the Chittagong armoury raid through a lifetime of steadfast social work in a new nation.
1911–2013 (age 102)·Veteran member of the civil society of Bangladesh·Birthday: January 10·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Binod Bihari Chowdhury's life was a single, unbroken thread of resistance and service. As a young man in Chittagong, he was drawn into the fervent anti-colonial circles led by Masterda Surya Sen. On that fateful night in April 1930, he was a foot soldier in the audacious armoury raid, a act of defiance meant to spark a broader uprising. While he avoided the martyrdom or long imprisonment that befell many comrades, the experience defined him. After partition and the birth of Bangladesh, he didn't retreat into memory. Instead, he channeled that revolutionary energy into the patient, unglamorous work of building civil society. He became a respected elder, a voice of conscience, and a bridge between the fiery independence of his youth and the long-term project of nurturing a just society, proving that a revolutionary's work is never truly done.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Binod was born in 1911, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Binod Was Born
The biggest hits of 1911
Binod's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1911Born
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1916Started school
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Became a teenager
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1927Could drive
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1929Could vote
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1932Turned 21
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1941Turned 30
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1951Turned 40
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1961Turned 50
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 60
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 70
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 80
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2013Died at 102
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Participated actively in the 1930 Chittagong armoury raid, a major armed uprising against British rule in India.
- Dedicated his post-independence life to social work and was a foundational veteran of Bangladeshi civil society.
- Authored books and gave extensive interviews, preserving firsthand accounts of the revolutionary movement in East Bengal.
- Was honored by the Government of Bangladesh with the Independence Day Award in 2000, the nation's highest civilian award.
Did You Know?
He was one of the last surviving participants of the Chittagong armoury raid at the time of his death in 2013.
Despite his involvement in the armed raid, he lived to be 102 years old.
He worked as a school teacher for a period after the independence movement.
A residential hall at the University of Chittagong is named after him.
“We did not take up arms for glory, but to prove we were not slaves.”
