Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, a renowned politician, organizer of the Liberation War and possessed of multi-faceted talent, breathed his last on Friday night. He was 88 years old. He had been the longest serving finance minister in the country's history.
The veteran politician will be laid to rest in Sylhet on Sunday.
In the wake of his death, prominent personalities have expressed their sorrow and mourned his passing.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock and sorrow at the demise of the veteran politician.
In her condolence message, the PM said that despite being a member of the Civil Service of Pakistan, Muhith joined the first government of Bangladesh in 1971. At the time, he was posted in the Pakistan Embassy in the US.
“A successful economist and politician, this Independence Award winner will be remembered by all for his contributions,” Hasina said.
“Abul Maal Abdul Muhith was an enlightened man,” said Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Muhith’s brother.
“He spent his entire life in the service of his country, working with sincerity and honesty. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina allowed him to work, and he carried out his duties with integrity. He was extremely talented and hardworking, and these qualities were evident in his work.
“For the past few days, he kept saying that he wanted to go. He told us his work was done and he was ready. I leave the rest to you,” he said.
“Now that he is gone, let us work towards building that beautiful Bangladesh he envisaged in his dreams. Let us keep moving forward, towards that goal,” added the foreign minister.
“Abul Maal Abdul Muhith had a Master’s in English Literature,” said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader after saying farewell to his departed former colleague at Gulshan Azad Mosque.
“He also studied at Harvard. He passed 12 budgets as finance minister, 10 under Sheikh Hasina’s government – a record. I have rarely seen such a workaholic. He was always immersed in his work and his studies. He was at the office day and night, even on holidays. Even if the Secretariat was closed, the lights in his office were on. That was the kind of man he was,” Quader said.
Debapriya Bhattacharya, fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and a long term confidante of Muhith, said: “When Muhith was finance minister in the Awami League government, the economic stability of Bangladesh was quite good. Along with economic stability, the level of growth was also fairly good, and it has gradually increased.”
During Muhith's tenure as finance minister, no major crisis was noticed in agriculture and industry, said Bhattacharya.
However, he also said some of the notable controversies also occurred in his tenure.
“During Muhith's tenure as finance minister, the stock market crashed. Allegations of chaos in the banking sector are also serious. Despite the economic growth, inequality within the country increased at this time.”
Saying he was an avid supporter of women’s rights, Fauzia Moslem, president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, said: “[Muhith] was a close friend of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad. A believer in women's rights, not just in words but also in his activities, he enriched several important meetings related to the budget with his presence and delivered valuable speeches at programmes organised by the Mahila Parishad. An erudite and passionate politician, Muhith will live forever through his work in people’s lives.”
While making a staggering contribution in other areas, he played a crucial role in the environment movement of Bangladesh. He was one of the civil society leaders who saw, early on, the danger of environmental degradation and realized the necessity of civic initiatives for preventing it. It was by his hand that the Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) was founded in 2000 and he also maintained the presidency of the organisation in its formative years.
General Secretary of BAPA Sharif Jamil said: “Muhith set an example for other civil society members of not staying aloof and rather of getting engaged in the struggle for environmental protection that has now become an overriding concern for Bangladesh.”
Muhith’s body was brought to the Shaheed Minar in the afternoon yesterday so that people from all walks of life could pay their last respects.
Zafrullah Chowdhury, trustee of Ganoshasthya Kendra, said: “Abul Maal Abdul Muhith was one of those who caused independence to be achieved. He was in Washington during the Liberation War and played a role in the war in association with expatriates. Without the efforts of the expatriates, Bangabandhu's liberation movement would not have been possible.”
Asaduzzaman Noor, a former minister and prominent cultural figure, said, “He was a good man at heart. He blended economics and culture beautifully. He has shown that he can implement what he thinks."
Hasanul Haque Inu, president of Jasad, said, “Muhith Bhai was a believer in the spirit of the Liberation War. We have lost a talented man in our intellectual world, we have lost a patron of the cultural world, we have lost a pragmatic economist in the world of economics."
Information Minister Hasan Mahmud said: "Bangladesh has risen from a low-income country to a middle-income country today. Despite all adversities, the country is moving towards prosperity today. In this regard, he (Muhith) has helped Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in every possible way.
“We have a lot to learn from him, including politeness. The manner in which Muhith Bhai used to accept the young ones and the juniors, it was unimaginable,” he added.