Background
Chowdhury was born in Moulvibazar District, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
Chowdhury was born in Moulvibazar District, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
He attended Moulvibazar Government High School. Having finished his Bachelor degree, he joined the civil service and was selected as General Secretary of the Civil Service Association of Bangladesh, standing for employee rights and equal opportunities.
In May 2012, he became Islington"s first Bangladeshi mayor. Chowdhury was General Secretary of the Students Union of Moulvibazar College, Bangladesh. In this role he took part in the movement against the military regime in Bangladesh.
He was also involved in the Bangladeshi student movement, campaigning for the removal of the military dictatorship and the restoration of democracy.
In 1992, Chowdhury arrived in Archway, London, England. Chowdhury became involved in local politics through supporting Jeremy Corbyn Member of Parliament as a translator and then joined the Labour Party.
In May 2006, in the Islington Borough Council election, he was elected as a Labour Party councillor for Barnsbury and has served as Deputy Mayor of Islington since 2011. During his time as a councillor, Jilani completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Sector Management at London Metropolitan University.
After serving as deputy mayor for a year, in May 2012, he was elected Mayor of Islington and became Islington"s first Bangladeshi mayor.
Chowdury is project manager for a community centre for older people called Working With Older People in Camden (where he has worked for 10 years), which focuses on offering services that are culturally appropriate for its users. He is also governor at Thornhill Primary School.
