After retiring from military service in 1994, he joined the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He lost both the
2008 and
2018 general elections to the
Awami League candidate
Shahjahan Mia. As of 2016, Altaf serves as the Vice Chairman of the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Charges Chowdhury was taken into custody of joint forces in May 2007 during the caretaker government's reign. The force seized a shotgun and a rifle, 99 bullets, 970 pieces of saree and 160 pieces of lungi of the government relief materials from his Patuakhali residence. On 18 December 2007, the
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against Chowdhury for concealing wealth information and amassing wealth worth beyond known sources of income. In April 2017, the High Court cleared the way for a lower court to resume the trial proceedings. On 26 February 2008, the ACC filed another case accusing
Khaleda Zia and 10 of her former cabinet members, including Chowdhury, of taking bribes in the
Barapukuria coalmine deal. In December 2017, the High Court asked Chowdhury to surrender to a lower court within four weeks in this case. On 11 June 2011, Chowdhury and
Hafizuddin Ahmed were arrested and sent to jail in connection with an arson case. They were later freed on bail. ==Personal life==