Former finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith has passed away. He was 88. He breathed his last at 12:56am Saturday at United Hospital in the capital.
According to a foreign ministry statement, his first namaz-e-janaza will be held at the Gulshan Central Mosque, popularly known as Azad Mosque, at 10:30am on Saturday
and the second namaz-e-janaza will be held at the parliament complex at 11:30am on the day.
The body of the former minister will be taken to the Central Shaheed Minar at 2:00pm on Saturday for people of all walks of life to pay their last tribute.
Later, the body will be taken to Sylhet for his burial, said the statement.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed deep shock and sorrow at the demise of AMA Muhith.
Different ministers including Road transport and bridges minister and Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, planning minister MA Mannan, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, social welfare minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed, agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque, commerce minister Tipu Munshi,
fisheries and livestock minister SM Rezaul Karim, industries minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, rail minister Md Nurul Islam Sujon, land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and textile and jute minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, in separate statements, expressed their deep shock at the death of the veteran politician.
FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin, in a statement also mourned the death of the former finance minister.
Born on January 25, 1934 in Sylhet, AMA Muhith passed his matriculation examination from Sylhet Government Pilot High School in 1949.
He secured first place in his Intermediate examination in 1951 from Sylhet MC College and stood first class first in his BA (honours) in English Literature in 1953 from University of Dhaka.
He passed his Masters with credit from the same university in 1955.
While in service to the government, he studied at the University of Oxford in 1957–1958. He completed a Master of Public Administration at Harvard University in 1964.
Muhith served as the general secretary of the central committee of the Pakistan Civil Service Association during 1960–1969.
He joined the Pakistan Embassy in the United States as an Economic Counselor in 1969.
In 1966, he was honoured with the Tamgha e Khidmat award by the Pakistan government.
During his service as the Chief and deputy secretary of Pakistan Planning Commission, he made a report on the discrimination between East and West Pakistan and that was the first submitted report on that issue in Pakistan National Congress.
He was the first diplomat of Washington Embassy who showed his consent in favour of Bangladesh giving up the side of Pakistan during the War of Independence in 1971.
He was appointed as the secretary of Planning in 1972 and secretary of the External Resource Department of Finance and Planning Ministry in 1977.
Muhith went for self-retirement in 1981 from his service.
He then started his career as the specialist of economics and development in Ford Foundation and in the International Fund for Agricultural Development. He became finance and planning minister in 1982–83.
Later, he worked as a specialist of different institutions of the World Bank and the United Nations.
He has been a recognised figure in the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, IDB and in different organisations of the United Nations.
Muhith was the visiting fellow of Princeton University in 1984 and 1985.
Muhith was awarded the highest civilian award Swadhinata Padak in 2016 for his contribution to the Liberation War and devoted record of public service.
He published 35 books on different subjects, including Liberation War, economic development, history, public administration and political problems.
Muhith was a pioneer of the environment movement in Bangladesh and was also the founder and president of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon. BAPA was founded in 2000.
He joined the Awami League in 2001 and was elected a lawmaker in 2009 from his home constituency of Sylhet.
He took oath as the finance minister of Bangladesh on January 6, 2009.
Muhith retired from the government and from his role as a lawmaker for Sylhet-1 constituency at the elections in December 2018.
– With New Age input
