Abul Maal Abdul Muhith
Encyclopedia
Abul Maal Abdul Muhith is an economist, diplomat, and a Bengali Language Movement veteran from Bangladesh
. He was born in Sylhet
in 1934.
during 1963-64.
and in IFAD. He became Finance and Planning Minister in 1982-1983. Next he worked as the specialist of different institutions of World Bank and the United Nations. He has been a recognized figure in the World Bank
, International Monetary Fund
, IDB and in different organizations of United Nations
. He was the Visiting Fellow of Princeton University
in 1984 and 1985.
He took oath as the Finance Minister of Bangladesh Government on 6 January 2009 and in August 2009 he inaugurated the building of the Benapole Customs and Immigration Check Post.
Mr. Muhith had faced criticism for his handling of the 2011 market crash
; he admitted to his mistakes in decisions related to the stock market in addition to the mistakes of the Security Exchange Commission. Although the opposition leaders and protesting investors had called for his resignation, he refused and defended his position. He had appointed a probe committee to investigate the allegations against the Security Exchange Commission, however this also attracted criticism towards him as he consequently refused to publicly disclose the names of those accused of chicanery by this committee.
He helped found the Bangladesh Environment Movement and was also the founder President of BAPA. The pledges Mr. Muhith made include preventing unplanned urbanisation, saving the environment and taking steps to relocate the Sylhet Central Jail in the city center and build up a recreational park in its place.
Mr. Muhith is married. His wife Syeda Sabia Muhith is a designer. They are parents of two sons and a daughter. Their daughter, Samina Muhith, is a banker and specialist in monetary policy. Their elder son, Shahed Muhith, is an ecologist and younger son, Samir Muhith, is a teacher.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. He was born in Sylhet
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
in 1934.
Education
Mr. Muhith secured first place in his Intermediate examination in 1951 from Sylhet MC College. He stood first class first in B.A (Hons.) in English Literature in 1954 from Dhaka University and passed his Masters with credit from the same university in 1955. While in service to the government, he studied at Oxford University and received a MPA Degree from Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
during 1963-64.
Early career
Mr. Muhith served as the general secretary of the central committee of the Pakistan Civil Service Association during 1960-1969. He joined the Pakistan Embassy in the USA as Economic Councilor in 1969. In 1966, he was honoured with the Tamgha e Khidmat award by the Pakistan government. During his service as the Chief and Deputy Secretary of Pakistan Planning Commission, he made a report on the discrimination between East and West Pakistan and that was the first submitted report on that issue in Pakistan National Congress. He was the first diplomat of Washington Embassy who showed his consent in favour of Bangladesh giving up the side of Pakistan during the Independence War of 1971. He was appointed as the Secretary of Planning in 1972 and Secretary of the External Resource Department of Finance and Planning Ministry in 1977.Retirement and return
He went for self retirement in 1981 from his service and then he started his second innings of his career as the specialist of economics and development in Ford FoundationFord Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
and in IFAD. He became Finance and Planning Minister in 1982-1983. Next he worked as the specialist of different institutions of World Bank and the United Nations. He has been a recognized figure in the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
, IDB and in different organizations of United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. He was the Visiting Fellow of Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1984 and 1985.
He took oath as the Finance Minister of Bangladesh Government on 6 January 2009 and in August 2009 he inaugurated the building of the Benapole Customs and Immigration Check Post.
Mr. Muhith had faced criticism for his handling of the 2011 market crash
2011 Bangladesh share market scam
The 2010-11 Bangladesh share market scam is an ongoing share market turmoil in the two Bangladeshi stock exchanges, DSE and CSE. Millions of small investors have lost all their investments due to the market crash...
; he admitted to his mistakes in decisions related to the stock market in addition to the mistakes of the Security Exchange Commission. Although the opposition leaders and protesting investors had called for his resignation, he refused and defended his position. He had appointed a probe committee to investigate the allegations against the Security Exchange Commission, however this also attracted criticism towards him as he consequently refused to publicly disclose the names of those accused of chicanery by this committee.
Personal
Mr. Muhith is also a published writer. He has published 21 books on different subjects, including administrative and liberation war affairs.He helped found the Bangladesh Environment Movement and was also the founder President of BAPA. The pledges Mr. Muhith made include preventing unplanned urbanisation, saving the environment and taking steps to relocate the Sylhet Central Jail in the city center and build up a recreational park in its place.
Mr. Muhith is married. His wife Syeda Sabia Muhith is a designer. They are parents of two sons and a daughter. Their daughter, Samina Muhith, is a banker and specialist in monetary policy. Their elder son, Shahed Muhith, is an ecologist and younger son, Samir Muhith, is a teacher.