DHAKA, Aug 23, 2026 (BSS) - The government has appointed Md. Shawkat Rashid Chowdhury, Secretary of the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division as the Chairman of the Land Reform Board (LRB).

The information was disclosed in a notification issued by the Ministry of Public Administration and signed by its Senior Assistant Secretary Md. Barman Hossain. 

A 15th-batch officer of the BCS (Administration) cadre, Shawkat Rashid Chowdhury joined the government service as an Assistant Commissioner and Magistrate at Habiganj district administration on November 18 in 1995.

Prior to his current assignment, he served as an Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture. After being promoted to the rank of Secretary on November 2, 2025, he joined the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division as its Secretary on November 3.

In his academic career, he completed his SSC from Chattogram Government High School, HSC from Hazi Mohammad Mohsin College and obtained BSS (Honours) and MSS degrees in Economics from the University of Chittagong.

He later earned a master’s degree in Governance Studies from Northern University Bangladesh and another in Financial Economics from the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom (UK).

During his career, he served in various important positions, including Assistant Commissioner (Land), Senior Assistant Secretary, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and Private Secretary to the Divisional Commissioner of Chattogram.

At the central administration, he worked in various capacities in the ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Internal Resources Division, Railways, Disaster Management and Relief and Agriculture.