Former finance minister and the Awami League advisory council member AMA Muhith has died at United Hospitals in Dhaka.
He breathed his last at 12:56am on early hours of Saturday while receiving treatment at the United Hospital, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Public Relations Officer Muhammad Mohsin Reza confirmed The Business Post.
His first janaza will be held at Gulshan Azad Mosque at 10:00am and the second at 11:00am at the Parliament premises.
Later, his mortal remains will be taken to the Central Shaheed Minar at 2pm for the public to pay their respects before being taken to Sylhet for burial.
Muhith, a renowned economist, diplomat, freedom fighter and language veteran, was born in Sylhet in 1934.
He secured first place in Intermediate examination in the province in 1951 from Sylhet MC College. He stood first class first in BA (Hons) in English Literature in 1954 from Dhaka University and passed his MA with credit from the same university in 1955.
During his service period, he studied at Oxford University in 1957-58 and received an MPA degree from Harvard University in 1964.
After joining Pakistan Civil Service (CSP) in 1956, he served in different capacities in the government of East Pakistan, Central government of Pakistan, and then Bangladesh.
He went for early retirement in 1981 from his service and started his second innings of his glorious career as a consultant on economic and development matters in Ford Foundation, IFAD, UN, UNDP, ADB & World Bank. He was Finance and Planning Minister from March 1982 to December 1983.
He joined Awami League in 2001 and was appointed member of its Advisory Board in 2002. He was elected a Member of Parliament in 2009 from his home constituency in Sylhet.
He took oath as Finance Minister on January 2009 and has been continuing in the same position after reelection as an uncontested MP in 2014 again.
He, as finance minister of the Awami League government, presented the budget in parliament for 10 years at a stretch.
He was a Visiting Fellow of W Wilson School at Princeton University in 1984 and 1985. He was awarded the highest civil Award “Swadhinata Padak” (Independence Award) in 2016 for his contribution to the liberation war and devoted record of public service.
He published 35 books on different subjects including liberation war, economic development, history, public administration and political problems. In 2016 an anthology of his books has been published in lot volumes.
