Dr Ayaz Chowdhury: A Life of Medicine, Leadership and Service Beyond Borders

Dr Mosiuddin Ayaz Chowdhury, nicknamed Khokon, is an Australian-based specialist physician and one of the most widely recognised and respected figures within the Bangladeshi community in Australia.
Born in Dhaka, Dr Chowdhury grew up in a distinguished and education-oriented family. From an early age, he was raised in an environment that placed great emphasis on education, integrity, dignity and social responsibility—values that continue to shape his life and work today.
His father, Wahiduddin Chowdhury, served as Chief Engineer of the then Roads and Highways Department. He graduated in science from Sylhet MC College and later completed a BSc in Engineering from the renowned Aligarh Muslim University in India. Throughout his career, he was widely respected in professional circles for his honesty and integrity.
Dr Chowdhury’s mother, Sayema Chowdhury, was well known for her literary interests, religious devotion and commitment to education. She completed her matriculation from Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ School in Kolkata and later earned her IA and BA degrees from Eden Girls’ College. She taught for many years at Little Angels School in Dhaka and was also an active writer. Her poems and essays were published in several newspapers and magazines, including the celebrated Begum magazine.
Dr Chowdhury’s maternal family also carries a long and distinguished heritage in Sylhet. For generations, members of the family were entrusted with responsibilities associated with the management of the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (R). His maternal grandfather served as a member of the Assam legislature during British rule, while his paternal grandfather served as a Deputy Magistrate in the Indian Civil Service during the British period.
Dr Chowdhury has an elder brother and an elder sister. His brother, Waziuddin Chowdhury, began his studies in architecture at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), but completed his undergraduate degree at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, United States. He later earned a postgraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley. After a successful career as an architect in the United States, he is now retired.
His elder sister, Roksa Karim, lives in the same Australian city as Dr Chowdhury. She served for many years in the military administration division of the Australian Government and received an award in recognition of her service.
Academic Excellence and Leadership from an Early Age
In 1970, Dr Chowdhury enrolled in Class Seven at the Mirzapur Cadet College. He completed both his SSC and HSC examinations from the institution. He secured 12th position in the Dhaka Education Board in the SSC examination and achieved star marks in the HSC examination.
His years at cadet college were marked not only by academic excellence but also by outstanding performance in extracurricular activities. He served as House Captain and distinguished himself in sports, becoming a champion in long jump, basketball and table tennis.
Becoming a physician was both a personal ambition and a cherished dream of his family. Pursuing that goal, he secured 14th position nationwide in the medical college admission examination and gained admission to Dhaka Medical College, the country’s premier and largest medical college. He was a member of the K-35 batch.
At Dhaka Medical College, Dr Chowdhury combined academic excellence with active involvement in student and organisational activities. During his student years, he came into close contact with some of Bangladesh’s most eminent physicians, including Dr Badruddoza Chowdhury, popularly known as B Chowdhury, and Dr SGM Chowdhury.
Remarkably, while still in his second year, he was elected as a member of the Dhaka Medical College Students’ Union through a direct vote of the students. He also played a leading role in debating and extempore public speaking on campus.
Establishing a Distinguished Medical Career in Australia
After completing his MBBS degree and internship, Dr Ayaz Chowdhury moved to Sydney, Australia, in 1986 and began his professional journey as a physician there.
He obtained his Australian Medical Council licence in 1987 and commenced medical practice. He later completed his specialist training and attained the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. In 1994, he became the first Bangladeshi doctor to achieve this prestigious fellowship. In 1996, he further broadened his expertise in public health by completing a Diploma in Epidemiology.
Over the decades, Dr Chowdhury has become best known as a highly respected gastroenterologist, trusted by countless patients across Sydney. People of different nationalities, backgrounds and age groups have sought his care, and he has built a reputation as a dependable and compassionate specialist physician.
He is also highly regarded among general practitioners across Sydney, many of whom routinely refer patients to him for specialist gastroenterological care. Over the course of his career, he has treated a vast number of patients and performed more than 30,000 gastroscopies and colonoscopies.
As part of his continuing contribution to Australia’s public healthcare system, Dr Chowdhury currently serves as Head of Gastroenterology at Auburn Hospital in Sydney. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, he also plays an important role in health administration and hospital management as Chairman of Auburn Hospital’s Medical Staff Council.
His contribution to healthcare extends beyond the hospital. Dr Chowdhury regularly engages with Australian elected representatives to advocate for improvements in healthcare services in Auburn and the wider Sydney region, particularly with the aim of improving access to treatment and strengthening patient care. From local Members of Parliament to the Premier, he has consistently raised health-system issues, offered professional advice and advocated for better healthcare services.
Contributions to Medical Science, Research and Education
Dr Chowdhury’s achievements extend well beyond clinical practice. He has also distinguished himself in medical science, research and education.
He completed four years of specialised training in clinical gastroenterology and an additional year of research training at two of New South Wales’ leading institutions—John Hunter Hospital and Westmead Hospital.
In recognition of his research work, he received travel grants from the Westmead Research Foundation and the Gastroenterological Society of Australia. These grants enabled him to present his research papers at international gastroenterology conferences held in New Orleans and Orlando in the United States.
As part of his contribution to medical education, Dr Chowdhury teaches as a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame Australia in Sydney.
Although he has spent much of his professional life as a specialist physician in Australia, he has maintained a strong and continuing interest in the advancement of medical education and healthcare in Bangladesh.
In January 2026, he delivered a lecture on Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU), the country’s first medical university. The lecture was widely appreciated by postgraduate teachers and physicians.
During a brief visit to Bangladesh in August 2026, Dr Chowdhury also met Bangladesh’s Health Minister and shared his experience of the Australian healthcare system. He expressed his commitment to actively supporting stronger cooperation between Australia and Bangladesh through knowledge sharing, skills exchange and collaborative medical research.
A Leading Advocate for International Medical Graduates
Beyond his personal achievements, Dr Chowdhury has made a remarkable contribution to Bangladeshi doctors and other International Medical Graduates (IMGs) in Australia.
He is the founding president of the Federation of Bangladesh Medical Societies of Australia (FBMSA), an organisation representing Bangladeshi medical professionals living and working in Australia.
Over the years, FBMSA has developed into a major and influential platform that not only helps Bangladeshi doctors build stronger professional networks but also facilitates education, training, academic activities, and a wide range of social and cultural programmes.
Under Dr Chowdhury’s leadership and mentorship, more than a thousand doctors from Bangladesh and other countries have received training and professional support, helping them establish careers in medicine.
He has also played a leading role in advocating for the rights and professional opportunities of International Medical Graduates. During his tenure as president of FBMSA, he helped establish cooperation among organisations representing doctors from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Iraq in Australia, serving as the principal coordinator of the initiative.
In recognition of his leadership, he was invited as a keynote speaker on IMG issues at a national convention of the Australian Medical Association (AMA). There, in the presence of senior Australian health officials, he raised issues concerning professional opportunities, support and fair treatment for international medical graduates.
He also represented IMG interests through the AMA at meetings of the Australian Medical Council. His advocacy contributed to reforms and changes in aspects of the medical licensing examination process affecting internationally trained doctors.
Community Service and Philanthropy
Dr Chowdhury is also actively involved in a wide range of social, charitable and organisational initiatives.
He serves as a goodwill ambassador in Australia for the Ahsania Mission Cancer and General Hospital in Dhaka, working to raise funds for cancer patients in Bangladesh, support cancer treatment initiatives and increase public awareness about cancer.
Together with the late Dr Abdul Haque and his family, Dr Chowdhury played an instrumental and active role in raising approximately AUD 300,000 for the Ahsania Mission Cancer and General Hospital in Dhaka. He continues to maintain regular contact with the hospital and has also provided personal support on various occasions.
He is one of the key initiators of Good Morning Bangladesh, an initiative that regularly organises cancer-awareness and fundraising events in New South Wales. These programmes have attracted participation from state ministers, Members of Parliament, prominent community figures and large numbers of Bangladeshi Australians.
In addition, Dr Chowdhury serves as Chief Adviser to the Australia Bangladesh Business Forum, an organisation representing Bangladeshi businesspeople in Australia.
Over the years, he has consistently supported and sponsored social and cultural programmes and community initiatives in Australia, particularly in Sydney. He has also regularly extended support to Bangladeshi expatriates and students.
A Philosophy of Compassionate Medicine
In a conversation with this writer, Dr Ayaz Chowdhury reflected on his philosophy as a physician and his aspirations beyond the medical profession:
“I have devoted a significant part of my life to practising medicine. My goal has never been simply to treat patients with medication or procedures. I have always tried to welcome them with a smile, understand the suffering caused by their illness, explain their condition and speak to them with empathy. Through this, I have tried to help my patients develop a positive outlook towards life, towards fighting illness and towards their doctors.
“I believe I inherited my father’s integrity and my mother’s commitment to education. These values have enabled me, through medicine, to pursue a profession while at the same time serving people.
“However, I do not want my contribution to remain confined to medicine. I want to bring Bangladeshi and other Asian communities in Australia closer together, build stronger connections among them and help them benefit from the strength of multicultural bonding.”
Family, Interests and Inspiration
Dr Ayaz Chowdhury’s wife, Dr Nasim Jahan Chowdhury, studied alongside him at Dhaka Medical College. She too has built a highly respected medical career and currently practises medicine in Sydney with distinction.
Together with their son, Andalib, and daughter, Anika, they have built their family life in Australia while maintaining close ties with Bangladesh.
In his leisure time, Dr Chowdhury enjoys reading and reflecting on international politics. The two personalities he admires most are his father and mother.
Among his favourite books are Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen’s The Idea of Justice.
Author: Sakib Faisal
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