Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali on Thursday was announced as the new Finance Minister for the next five years.
Ali, who was elected from Dinajpur-4 constituency, served as a Foreign Minister from 2013 to 2019, and also as Minister of Disaster Management and Relief from 2012 to 2013.
He replaced AHM Mustafa Kamal, who in turn took over the ministerial position from AMA Abdul Muhith on January 7, 2019.
Ali was born on 6 February 1943 in Daktarpara, Khamar Bishnuganj (Tangua Post Office), Khansama, Dinajpur.
He received a BA with Honours in 1962 and an MA degree in economics the following year from Dhaka University.
He was a lecturer in economics at Dhaka University from 1964 to 1966.
Ali joined the erstwhile-Pakistan Foreign Service in 1966 and was posted as Vice-Consul of Pakistan in New York City in 1968.
Immediately after arriving in New York in 1968, he began to organize the small Bangladeshi community in the United States.
Ali joined the Bangladesh Liberation war, in April 1971, and was appointed as the representative to the United States from the provisional government of Bangladesh at Mujibnagar, in May 1971.
After the declaration of Bangladesh's independence, Ali served as representative to the United Nations and later as Acting Consul-General in New York City. Subsequently, he served in various capacities at the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka and at Bangladesh missions abroad.
Meanwhile, Ahsanul Islam Titu has been appointed State Minister for Commerce.
Abdus Salam, elected from Mymensingh-9, was made Planning Minister, replacing MA Mannan.
Also, Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun has been retained as Industries Minister, a portfolio he has been held since 2019.