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A BIOGRAPHY OF
Abul Mal Abdul Muhit
(Former Finance Minister)
(1934- 2022)
A BIOGRAPHY OF ABUL MAL ABDUL MUHIT
Abul Maal Abdul Muhit is a Bangladeshi economist, diplomat, and politician who has had a long and distinguished career in public service. He is widely recognized as a leading expert on development economics and has played a key role in shaping economic policy in Bangladesh. He has also represented his country at various international forums, including the United Nations, where he has been a vocal advocate for the interests of developing countries.
In addition to his work in public service, Muhit has also been involved in academia, teaching economics at the University of Dhaka and other institutions. Throughout his career, Muhit has been recognized for contributions to public service and economic development. He received numerous awards and honors both in Bangladesh and abroad.
Despite his many achievements, he remains a humble and dedicated public servant. Muhit was always committed to improving the lives of his fellow citizens and promoting economic growth and development in Bangladesh and beyond. He watched every aspect of the 1952 Bengali language movement and 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. His close involvement proves he was an important person for Bangladesh from the very beginning.
Known For: Finance Minister
Born: 25 January 1934
Age: 88
Birthplace: Sylhet
Nationality: Bangladeshi
Father: Abu Ahmad Abdul Hafiz
Mother: Syeda Shahar Banu
Relatives:
AK Abdul Momen (brother)
Shahla Khatun (sister)
Abdul Hamid (granduncle)
Education:
B.A. (Hons.) , University of Dhaka
Master, University of Dhaka
Masters, University of Oxford
Master of Public Administration degree, Harvard University
Occupation:
Economist
Writer
Civil servant
Secretary
Diplomat
Politician
Spouse: Syeda Sabia
Children:
Samina Muhith
Shahed Muhith
Samir Muhith
Death: 30 April 2022
Early Life
Abul Mal Abdul Muhit was born into a Bengali Muslim family with political roots in Sylhet on January 25th, 1934. He was the third child among fourteen siblings. His father, Abu Ahmad Abdul Hafiz, was a judge and played a vital role in the Sylhet branch of the All-India Muslim League.
His mother, Syeda Shahar Banu Chowdhury, was a prominent figure in the Bengali language movement. Muhit’s younger brother is AK Abdul Momen, the current Foreign Affairs Minister of Bangladesh, and his sister, Shahla Khatun, is a physician and National Professor of Bangladesh.
Education
Muhit completed his matriculation exam from Sylhet Government Pilot High School in 1949, and secured the first position in his Intermediate examination in 1951 from Murari Chand College. He graduated with first-class honors in English literature from the University of Dhaka in 1953 and completed his master’s with credit from the same university in 1955. While serving the government, he pursued further studies at the University of Oxford from 1957 to 1958, and obtained his Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University in 1964.
Career
From 1960 to 1969, Muhit held the position of general secretary in the central committee of the Pakistan Civil Service Association. He then became an Economic Counselor at the Pakistan Embassy in the United States in 1969. In 1966, he was bestowed with the Tamgha e Khidmat award by the Pakistani government.
While serving as the Chief and Deputy Secretary of Pakistan’s Planning Commission, he authored a report on the discrimination between East and West Pakistan. This was the first such report submitted to the Pakistan National Congress.
During the Independence War of 1971, Muhit was the first diplomat at the Washington Embassy to express support for Bangladesh’s separation from Pakistan. He was later appointed as the Secretary of Planning in 1972, and subsequently as the Secretary of the External Resource Department of the Finance and Planning Ministry in 1977.
In 1981, Muhit retired from his job and began a new chapter in his career as an economics and development specialist for the Ford Foundation and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). He served as the Finance and Planning Minister from 1982 to 1983 and later worked as a specialist for various institutions within the World Bank and the United Nations.
He has been a prominent figure in organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, IDB, and other United Nations agencies. From 1984 to 1985, he was a visiting fellow at Princeton University.
On 6 January 2009, Muhit was sworn in as the Finance Minister of Bangladesh, and in August 2009, he inaugurated the Benapole Customs and Immigration Check Post building. In the year 2018, Muhit retired from the government job as well as from his role as a Jatiya Sangsad member for the Sylhet-1. His brother AK Abdul Momen took over his position as the representative for the constituency.
Criticism
Muhit was criticized for the 2011 stock market crash; he admitted to making mistakes in decisions related to the stock market and Security and Exchange Commission. But he refused to resign despite calls from opposition leaders and protesting investors. He appointed a committee to investigate allegations against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) but was criticized for not publicly disclosing the names of accused wrongdoers.
Muhit faced further criticism when he referred to the Tk 4,000 crore embezzled in the Hallmark money scam as a “meager amount,” but later apologized for his statement. He was also criticized for insulting Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and questioning his integrity over the Grameen Bank issue.
In September 2015, Muhit faced widespread criticism for his remarks against public university teachers in Bangladesh who were seeking a separate pay scale, but he later apologized for his comments. He also defended the decision to impose VAT on the private university education system, which was controversial.
Work
- 1978: Bangladesh, Emergence of a Nation
- 1981: Thoughts on Development Administration
- 1996: American Response to Bangladesh Liberation War
- 1999: Bangladesh in the Twenty-First Century: Towards an Industrial Society
- 2001: Issues of Governance in Bangladesh
- 2006: State Language Movement in East Bengal, 1947-1956
- 2016: History of Bangladesh: A Subcontinental Civilisation
Personal Life
Mr. Muhit is married to Syed Sabia Muhit, who works as a designer. She was his paternal aunty’s daughter. Mrs. Sabia was born and brought up in Calcutta. Muhit personally proposed to her when Sabia was nearly 17 years old in 1958.
The couple has two sons and a daughter. Their daughter, Samina Muhit, previously served as a Vice President at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York. Currently, she works as a consultant on economic, monetary, and banking matters in New York.
Muhit’s elder son, Shahed Muhit, studied architecture and was an architect in New York. Now he is in the IT field and works as an IT expert based in Dhaka. Muhit’s youngest son, Samir Muhit, works as a school teacher in Houston, Texas.
Muhit belonged to a well-educated family. His grandfathers, uncles, and almost every paternal family member were well-educated and well-established. Up to class three, Muhit was homeschooled by a home tutor and uncles.
Muhit was very good at memorization. He never had to read a book twice. He loved sports and competitions. Throughout his whole career, he most enjoyed his political life. He loved his family and always stood with his family members.
Books
Mr. Muhith wrote some books regarding Bangladesh’s political issues. Most of his books are hardcover.
- The Economic Reality and Potential of Bangladesh (বাংলাদেশের অর্থনৈতিক বাস্তবতা ও সম্ভাবনা)
- The Rise of Bangladesh (বাংলাদেশের অভ্যুদয়)
- Election and Administration (নির্বাচন ও প্রশাসন)
- Memoirs of a Working Life (স্মৃতিময় কর্মজীবন)
- Bangladesh: The Birth of a Nation-State (বাংলাদেশ : জাতিরাষ্ট্রের উদ্ভব)
- My Sylhet (আমার সিলেট)
- Treasure Trove of Memories (স্মৃতির মণিকোঠায়)
- Want a Bangladesh Suitable for Habitation(বসবাসের উপযুক্ত বাংলাদেশ চাই)
- Collection of Essays (Volumes 1 to 10) ((রচনাবলি (১ থেকে ১০খণ্ড))
- Memories Acidic 1971 (স্মৃতি অম্লান ১৯৭১)
- Words of Great Men Heard from Close By (মহাপুরুষদের কথা কাছে থেকে দেখা)
- Many Countries, Many Nations (নানা দেশ নানা জাতি)
- Complete Collection of Writings on Liberation War (মুক্তিযুদ্ধের রচনাসমগ্র)
- Crisis and Opportunity (সংকট ও সুযোগ)
- Our National Parliament and Elections (আমাদের জাতীয় সংসদ ও নির্বাচন)
- Selected Essays (নির্বাচিত প্রবন্ধ )
- Our Deprived Environment (আমাদের বিপন্ন পরিবেশ)
- Dedicated to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – Collection of Short Stories for Young Adults (বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মুজিবকে নিবেদিত কিশোর গল্প)
- Golden Days (সোনালি দিনগুলি)
- Seven Months of a Theoretical Government (তত্ত্বাবধায়ক সরকারের সাতাশ মাস)
- In Search of Political Consensus (রাজনৈতিক ঐকমত্যের সন্ধানে)
- Bangladesh: Emergence of a Nation
- Collection of 15 Books on Bangabandhu (বঙ্গবন্ধু বিষয়ক ১৫টি বইয়ের কালেকশন)
- Issues of Governance in Bangladesh
- American Response to Bangladesh Liberation War
- An Agenda for Good Governance
- History of Bangladesh : A Subcontinental Civilisation
Awards
- Tamgha e Khidmat award, 1966
- Swadhinata Padak, 2016
Death
Muhit fell ill on 5 March 2022 and was admitted to Green Life Hospital in Dhaka. He passed away on 30 April 2022 at United Hospital. He was 88 at the time.
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