He went to Harvard University to obtain his Doctor of Philosophy and earned the degree in 1983.
He has been involved in Bangladesh"s liberation war and for his contribution, he has earned Bir Bikram title from the nation. He passed Matric exam from Barisal Zilla School in 1959 and ISC exam from Dhaka College in 1961. He earned his bachelor"s degree in Economics from Dhaka University in 1964 and Master of Arts from Panjab university in 1965.
Chowdhury complete Post Graduate Diploma from Leeds University, United Kingdom in 1975.
He joined the Civil Service of Pakistan (Center for Security Policy) in 1968 after a two-year stint as Lecturer in Economics in the University of Dhaka. In 1971, as the Sub-Divisional "officer of Meherpur, Kushtia, he joined the liberation war and was commissioned in the Bangladesh Armed Forces.
He was decorated for gallantry as Bir Bikram and was one of the chief organizers of the swearing in ceremony of the first Government of Bangladesh in Mujibnagar, Meherpur on 17 April 1971. Later he reverted to civil service and after several assignments, went for higher studies in United Kingdom in 1974.
He was Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Industrial Bank of Bangladesh (Bachelor of Science in Business).
He served as Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh for nearly a decade in the Ministries of Food, Statistics, Power Energy & Mineral Resources and Planning. He also served as a Visiting Fellow at the Economic Growth Centre of the Yale University. Since his retirement from public service in 2002, Chowdhury has served as a consultant to, among others, United Nations agencies and multilateral organizations.
Chowdhury was appointed Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Government of Bangladesh in January 2009 with the rank and status of a Minister.
He advises on energy, power and mineral resources. Chowdhury participated "United Kingdom Road Show 2015: Creating Opportunity for Investors", is a Bangladesh international investment and business seminar, designed for investors and corporate heads who want to explore the opportunities of a frontier market like Bangladesh.
The country offers untapped opportunities in plethora of sectors which ensures handsome return, with smooth option for repatriation of equity and dividend."Bangladesh Roadshow 2015".