AMA Muhith, former finance minister and Awami League Advisory Council member, has passed away.
The 88-year-old — who was acclaimed widely as an economist, diplomat, language veteran and freedom fighter — breathed his last while undergoing treatment at the United Hospital in Gulshan at 12:56am Saturday, hospital authorities confirmed to Dhaka Tribune.
Officials at multiple ministries, including the Foreign Ministry and Finance Ministry, also confirmed his death to Dhaka Tribune when reached for comment.
His younger brother and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen shared the news via a Facebook post as well.
According to Momen's post, Muhith's first namaz-e-janaza will be held at the Gulshan Central Mosque, popularly known as Azad Mosque, at 10am and the second janaza at the parliament complex at 11:30am.
Later around 1pm, his remains will be taken to the Central Shaheed Minar for people of all walks to pay their last tribute. Afterwards, his body will be taken to his birthplace Sylhet for burial at the family graveyard.
President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have mourned Muhith's death in separate statements.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Health Minister Zahid Maleque and other cabinet members also issued statements mourning his death and extending condolences to the members of Muhith's family.
Jatiya Party Chairman and Leader of the Opposition GM Quader and Bikalpadhara Bangladesh chief and former president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury also expressed shock and mourned his death.
Apart from various old age complications, Muhith had been suffering from multiple physical issues after contracting Covid-19 in July last year. He was taken to hospitals several times when his physical condition deteriorated.
In the first week of March this year, he was admitted to a hospital in Dhaka after his physical condition deteriorated again. After his condition improved, he returned to his Banani home. He also went to Sylhet in mid-March, on a four-day visit, for the first time in nearly two years.
Muhith was the husband of designer Syeda Sabia and the father of two sons and a daughter. Their daughter Samina Muhith is a banker and an expert in the field of monetary policy. Their eldest son Shahed Muhith is an architect and the youngest son, Samir Muhith, is a teacher.
The longest-serving finance minister
Abul Maal Abdul Muhith took oath as the finance minister of Bangladesh on January 6, 2009, and held the office for 10 consecutive years over two terms.
He was the first finance minister in the history of Bangladesh to place 10 consecutive national budgets, taking his tally to 12, including the two he placed during the military regime of HM Ershad.
Prime Minister Hasina had entrusted him with authoring the Awami League's manifesto as the party charted its comeback ahead of the 2008 election.
That manifesto underpinned the party's era of unprecedented dominance, and his entire spell as finance minister, the most influential portfolio in the cabinet. For 10 years, his seat was reserved to the immediate right of the prime minister at weekly cabinet meetings.
Muhith left his mark in the deliberate and strategic move towards expansionary fiscal policy, reflected in the burgeoning of the budget under his watch – from Tk114,000 crore in the 2009-10 financial year, the first under the newly elected Awami League government, to Tk464,000 crore in his last, for 2018-19 fiscal.
At first, his critics said he was overambitious with his budgets. His retort was that he would rather be that, than fall short on ambition. It set the tone for the Awami League's blueprint of governance in many ways and continues to define it to this day.
During his tenure as the finance minister, Bangladesh witnessed sound macroeconomic management with a significant increase in budget size, steady growth and inflation in control.
He was one of the driving forces behind taking up mega projects in the country.
Muhith, who joined Awami League in 2001, retired from politics in 2018, after serving as the Member of Parliament for Sylhet 1 constituency for several terms. His younger brother Momen succeeded him as Sylhet 1 MP.
A brilliant career
AMA Muhith was born on January 25, 1934, to a political family in Sylhet.
His father, Abu Ahmad Abdul Hafiz, was a judge and one of the founders of the Sylhet All-India Muslim League who also took part in the Pakistan Movement.
His mother, Syeda Shahar Banu was one of the leading women in the Language Movement. Muhith was the third child in a family of 14 children.
Muhith passed the matriculation exam from Sylhet Government Pilot High School in 1949. He secured first place in his Intermediate examination in 1951 from Sylhet MC College.
From Dhaka University, he passed BA (Hons) in English Literature first class first in 1953 and passed his master's with credit in 1955.
After a bright academic life, Muhith joined the civil service in 1956.
While in service to the government, he studied at the University of Oxford from 1957 to 1958. He also completed a Master of Public Administration at Harvard University in 1964.
He held important positions in the public service and was the first diplomat of the then Pakistan Embassy in Washington who defected to Bangladesh during the 1971 Liberation War. He also played a vital role in drawing up global support for Bangladesh during the war.
In 2016, Muhith was conferred with Swadhinata Puroskar or the Independence Award, the highest civilian award, for his contribution during the war.
Muhith was appointed as the secretary of planning in January 1972 and secretary of the External Resources Division of the Finance and Planning Ministry in May 1977.
He went for self-retirement in 1981 from his service and started the second innings of his career as a specialist in economics and development at Ford Foundation and in the IFAD.
However, he also served as the finance and planning minister from March 1982 to December 1983.
Next, he worked as a specialist in different institutions of the World Bank and the United Nations. He has been a recognised figure in the World Bank, IMF, IDB and in different organisations of the United Nations. He was the Visiting Fellow of Princeton University in 1984 and 1985.
A pioneer in the country’s environmental movement, Muhith was one of the founders and presidents of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), established in 2000, as well.
He was equally gifted as a writer and published 35 books on different subjects including Liberation War, economic development, history, public administration and political problems.