Rowshan Ara Begum

Raushan Ara Begum (1 January 1962 – 5 May 2019 ) was an Additional Inspector General of Bangladesh Police, the first woman to hold the second highest position of Bangladesh Police. She was awarded the President Police Medal (PPM) and was the first woman Superintendent of Police (SP) of Munshiganj District.

Early life Begum was born on 1 January 1962, in Shahrasti Upazila, Chandpur District, Bangladesh. Although born in Chandpur, she lived in Dhaka. Her father was Ismail Hossain, and her mother was Amena Begum. She was married to Md. Shafiqul Alam Chowdhury, a businessman. Her father-in-law, Nurullah Chowdhury, was a former chief microbiologist at Mohakhali Cholera Hospital. She completed her master's at the University of Dhaka.

Career Begum joined the 7th BCS Bangladesh Civil Service as a police cadre on 15 February 1988. She received her basic training at the Bangladesh Police Academy in Sarda, Rajshahi, and started her career as a probationary Assistant Superintendent of Police in Dhaka. She worked in various capacities in the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Narayanganj District, and Rajshahi.

Begum participated in several United Nations peacekeeping missions. She served as a Crime Analysis Officer in the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) from July 16, 2002, to July 15, 2003. She later as Chief of the UN Police Force in the United Nations Mission in Sudan from 30 April 2008 to 29 November 2009.

Later, Begum worked in various roles at the National Board of Revenue, the Special Branch, and the Criminal Investigation Department. In 2018, she was promoted to Additional Inspector General of Police following the recommendation of the Superior Selection Board, and was serving as rector of the Police Staff College until her death. She was the president of the Bangladesh Police Women's Network. Her death was a shock as she was expected to be appointed the first female chief of Bangladesh Police. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed shock over her death.