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A financial expert in true sense, a seasoned diplomat, a veteran language hero and above all a gallant freedom fighter – Abul Maal Abdul Muhith was a celebrated figure with an illustrious career, whose recent passing is a great loss to the country as well as to the arena of financial intelligence.
Muhith was the first finance minister in the history of Bangladesh who set a record of presenting 10 consecutive budgets from Fiscal Year 2009-10 to Fiscal Year 2018-19.
Earlier in the eighties, as the finance minister of HM Ershad government, Muhith had placed the budget before the parliament twice. In his lifetime, he delivered budget for a total of 12 times in the parliament. He was awarded the highest civilian Award “Swadhinata Padak” (Independence Award) in 2016 for his contribution to the Liberation War and public service.
Early life
Abul Maal Abdul Muhith was born on January 25, 1934 to a Bengali Muslim political family in Sylhet.
His father, Abu Ahmad Abdul Hafiz was a famous lawyer who was one of the founders of the Sylhet branch of All-India Muslim League and took part in the Pakistan Movement.
His mother Syeda Shahar Banu was one of the leading women of Bangla Language Movement.
Muhith was third in a family of 14 children and his younger brother Abul Kalam Abdul Momen is the incumbent foreign minister of the country.
Education
AMA Muhith was very brilliant throughout his student life. He completed his matriculation from Sylhet Government Pilot High School in 1949 and obtained first place in the intermediate examination in 1951 from MC College, Sylhet.
Getting enrolled in the Department of English under the University of Dhaka, Muhith had a great sign of academic feat. He stood first with first class in BA (Honours) in 1954 and passed his MA with merit from the same university in 1955.
During his service period, he studied in Oxford University in 1957–1958. He completed his Master of Public Administration degree in Harvard University in 1964.
Career and role in Liberation War
After joining the Pakistan Civil Service (CSP) in 1956, Muhith held various important positions in the central government of Pakistan, the provincial government of East Pakistan and later in the government of Bangladesh.
He served the central committee of the Pakistan Civil Service Association as its general secretary during 1960–1969.
The iconic figure wrote a report on the economic disparities between East and West Pakistan in 1966 when he was the chief and deputy secretary to the Pakistan Planning Commission.
This was the first report submitted on the issue to the Pakistan National Assembly for fulfillment of constitutional obligation.
In 1966, he was honoured with the Tamgha-e-Khidmat (best civil servant) award by the Pakistan government.
Muhith joined the Pakistan Embassy in the United States as an economic counsellor in 1969. He was the first diplomat at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington who switched his allegiance to Bangladesh in June during the Independence War in 1971.
Later, the patriot became the economic counsellor at the Washington Embassy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the interim government of Bangladesh formed in 1971.
After independence, he was appointed as planning secretary in January 1972 and later secretary to the External Resources Division under the Finance and Planning Ministry in May 1977.
Self-imposed retirement and subsequent works
Muhith went for self-imposed retirement in 1981 from his service and then began his second innings in his career as the specialist of economics and development in Ford Foundation and in the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
He became the finance and planning minister for 1982–83.
Later, the finance minister worked as the specialist of different institutions of the World Bank and the United Nations.
He was a recognised figure in the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, IDB (Islamic Development Bank) and in different UN organisations, and was the visiting fellow of Princeton University in 1984 and 1985.
In 2009, Muhith took oath as the finance minister on January 6 after winning his bid as a parliamentarian for Sylhet-1 constituency.
Withdrawing from direct political activities, he left the seat for his younger brother AK Abdul Momen during the 2018 general election.
A popular writer
AMA Muhith was very popular as a writer. He wrote many books on Liberation War, environment, history, politics, biography and contemporary issues.
According to the online bookshop Rokomari, the number of his published books is 26.
Asked, a former finance ministry official who worked with Muhith, told The Business Post that the number of his published books would be around 30 to 33.
Mentioning that Muhith had a foothold in the vast area of knowledge, the official said the former finance minister used to write when he had free time.
Muhith authored a number of books including Bangladesh: Emergence of a Nation (1978), Thoughts on Development Administration (1981), American Response to Bangladesh Liberation War (1996), Bangladesh in the Twenty-first Century: Towards an Industrial Society (1999), Issues of Governance in Bangladesh (2001), State Language Movement in East Bengal 1947-1956 (2006) and History of Bangladesh: A Subcontinental Civilisation (2016).
Environmentalist
Muhith formed a non-political environmental movement organisation called Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA). He was the founding president of it.
BAPA Executive Vice-President Mohd Abdul Matin told The Business Post that as per the decision of the members of BAPA, Muhith took over the post of founding president at the beginning of 2000.
Earlier, he was the founding president of an environmental group called ‘Porosh’. Muhith played a role in environmental protection, relocation of Sylhet central jail and creation of amusement parks.
Politics
The versatile genius joined Awami League in 2001 and resigned from BAPA. He was appointed the member of Awami League’s Advisory Board in 2002, a position he still held in the party.
He was elected lawmaker in 2009 from his home constituency in Sylhet. The octogenarian withdrew himself from politics in 2018.
Criticism
Muhith often made headlines in the media for his various comments during his tenure as a finance minister.
He used the word ‘rubbish’, ‘bogus’ in his speeches on various issues, which grabbed the headlines many times.
In 2018, his younger brother Foreign Minister Momen in a programme said: “He (Muhith) is a completely honest man. If he dislikes something, he tells it frankly. That’s why you are familiar with the word rubbish, bogus.”
Personal life
Muhith was married to Syeda Sabia, a designer by profession, and was the father of two sons and a daughter.
His daughter Samina Muhith is a banker and an expert in the field of monetary policy.
His eldest son Shahed Muhith is an architect and IT expert working in Dhaka and his youngest son Samir Muhith is a schoolteacher in Houston, Texas.
