WEB DESK
Former Bangladesh Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith passed away in Dhaka on Saturday after a brief illness. He was 88.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock over the demise of Muhith.
In his condolence message President Hamid said Muhith played an important role in laying a strong foundation of the country’s economy during his tenure as finance minister. Prime Minister Hasina in her message said that the Independence Award winning economist and politician will be remembered through his works.
People from all walks of life paid tributes to the former finance minister at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka where his body was kept for the public to pay their respect. His body will be taken to his birthplace in Sylhet for burial.
AMA Muhith was widely acclaimed as an economist, diplomat and a bureaucrat. He was also a veteran of the language movement and freedom fighter. He was one of the country’s longest serving finance ministers who steered Bangladesh to become a successful, high growth economy. Among his many achievements he is credited with mobilising domestic resources for the prestigious Padma bridge after the World Bank withdrew its proposed USD 1.2 billion dollar funding.
Born in 1934 in Sylhet, he studied English literature at Dhaka University and later at Oxford University. He joined Pakistan Civil service and was posted at the Washington embassy at the time of the liberation war of 1971. He rebelled against the Pakistan government and declared his support for Bangladesh. He first became Finance and Planning minister in 1982-82. He became Finance Minister again in 2009 as a member of Awami League. He authored several books in his long career.