Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir
Encyclopedia
Dr. Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir (born 1942) is a prominent economist, civil servant, writer, and political leader in Bangladesh
.
Dr. Alamgir holds a Master's degree in economics
from Dhaka University, a Master's in development economics from Boston University
, and a Ph.D in economics from Boston University. He began his professional career in 1962, by joining the economics faculty at the University of Dhaka
, after completing a Masters degree in economics at the same university. He taught at the university until 1965.
After 1971, he was posted to the Finance Ministry of Bangladesh, and played significant roles in drafting the initial budgets of Independent Bangladesh. From 1976 to 1979 he served as the District Commissioner of Jessore. Later he served in various capacities in the Finance Ministry. In 1993 Dr. Alamgir was appointed Secretary for Ministry of Science and Technology
, and later, as a Member of Planning Commission.
From 1996 to 1997 he served as Secretary to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
. During that time, he led the negotiations in renewing the historic Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with India. He also played a leadership role in negotiating and signing a Peace Treaty with separatists in the Chittagong Hill Tracts
. He retired in 1997 after 32 years of civil service.
's economic rehabilitation plan, after a brutal civil war.
As part of government service, Dr. Alamgir was Managing Director of Bangladesh Shilpa Banks (Industrial Bank of Bangladesh), where he began an unprecedented move to recover a large number of pending debt of the bank by filing lawsuits against loan defaulters. He also served for many years as Executive Director of Islamic Development Bank
, where he represented a number of countries including Bangladesh.
as a Visiting Scholar on an Asia Foundation
fellowship.
Dr. Alamgir has authored numerous books, journal articles, and hundreds of newspaper articles on the economy and current affairs of Bangladesh. His "Development Strategy for Bangladesh" (three editions) has been used as one of the textbooks in advanced development economics courses at different universities in the country. His "My Days in Jail" was also a bestseller, with three sold-out editions published between 2003 and 2004.
In 1996, when a government led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party
(BNP) staged one-sided national elections, which were boycotted by the opposition, and proceeded to form a government on the basis of the rigged election results, Dr. Alamgir joined a mass uprising that considered the tenure of the government illegitimate. He eventually led civil servants to withhold cooperation with the illegitimate government, and the government fell. The movement was called Janatar Mancha-1996. His role in that movement was controversial; opponents claimed that his position encouraged civil servants to break their traditional neutral role and therefore become politicized.
, one of the organizations that fought for his release, Dr. Alamgir reported in court that "every evening at midnight, the police would enter his cell and blindfold him. He was taken to a separate room where masked men interrogated and tortured him. They beat him with lathi (bamboo sticks) and glass bottles filled with water. He reported that he was beaten severely on his buttocks, feet and other muscular parts of his body, and was sodomized with the bottle. In addition, he was denied fresh water and his diabetes medicine. He reported that the police demanded that he sign a typed document. When he refused to sign, they continued to beat him."
A large international campaign played a crucial role to pressure the government to stop the torture and release Dr. Alamgir. United States Senator Edward Kennedy
, United States Representative Frank Pallone, Jr., and others urged the government for his release. Other organizations that played a strong role to secure his release include American Association for the Advancement of Science, Amnesty International
, Asian Human Rights Commission
, Committee of Concerned Scientists
, New York Academy of Sciences
, Organisation mondiale contre la torture (World Organisation Against Torture), 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Winners Physicians for Human Rights, Scholars at Risk
, and South Asia Forum for Human Rights
. In addition, thousands of individuals from around the world wrote letters to the government demanding his release.
Unconvinced of the government's arguments to keep him detained, the High Court eventually took an unprecedented step and issued an ultimatum to the government demanding that it release Dr. Alamgir or risk having the High Court itself free him by force. The government released Dr. Alamgir only one hour before the court ordered deadline was set to expire on 18 September 2002. In December 2002 the BNP government filed a sedition case against Dr. Alamgir for his role during a 1996 popular revolt against an illegitimately elections.
On October 21, 2008, Dr. Alamgir was released on bail after being held in prison for 20 months by the military-backed caretaker government of Bangladesh.
He became an MP, while he was on bail. On July 13, 2009, the High Court overturned Dr. Alamgir's 13-year imprisonment conviction by a special tribunal constituted under the 2007-8 military-controlled caretaker government.
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...
.
Dr. Alamgir holds a Master's degree in economics
Master of Economics
A Master's Degree in Economics is a postgraduate academic program, offering training in economic theory, econometrics and / or applied economics. The degree may be offered as a terminal degree or as additional preparation for doctoral study, and is sometimes offered as a professional degree...
from Dhaka University, a Master's in development economics from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, and a Ph.D in economics from Boston University. He began his professional career in 1962, by joining the economics faculty at the University of Dhaka
University of Dhaka
The University of Dhaka is the oldest university in Bangladesh. It is a multi-disciplinary research university and is among the top universities in the region. Established on July 21, 1921, as per the Government of India Act, 1920, it was modelled on the Universities in England and soon gained...
, after completing a Masters degree in economics at the same university. He taught at the university until 1965.
Civil Service
In 1965 he joined the erstwhile Civil Service of Pakistan. Among other posts prior to the independence of Bangladesh, he served as the Subdivisional Officer at Naogaon. He quit Pakistani Civil Service when the 1971 war broke out and participated actively in the liberation movement of Bangladesh.After 1971, he was posted to the Finance Ministry of Bangladesh, and played significant roles in drafting the initial budgets of Independent Bangladesh. From 1976 to 1979 he served as the District Commissioner of Jessore. Later he served in various capacities in the Finance Ministry. In 1993 Dr. Alamgir was appointed Secretary for Ministry of Science and Technology
Ministries of Bangladesh
The most influential part of the executive of the Bangladesh government are the ministries. A ministry is headed by minister or minister of state shall be responsible for conducting the business of his Ministry/Division in the Parliament unless otherwise directed by the Prime Minister...
, and later, as a Member of Planning Commission.
From 1996 to 1997 he served as Secretary to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and widow of a reputed nuclear...
. During that time, he led the negotiations in renewing the historic Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with India. He also played a leadership role in negotiating and signing a Peace Treaty with separatists in the Chittagong Hill Tracts
Chittagong Hill Tracts
The Chittagong Hill Tracts comprise an area of 13,295 km2 in south-eastern Bangladesh, and borders India and Myanmar . It was a single district of Bangladesh until 1984. In that year it was divided into three separate districts: Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban. Topographically, this is the...
. He retired in 1997 after 32 years of civil service.
Other Appointments
In a project sponsored by the United Nations Development Program in 1980, Dr. Alamgir was one of the architects of UgandaUganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
's economic rehabilitation plan, after a brutal civil war.
As part of government service, Dr. Alamgir was Managing Director of Bangladesh Shilpa Banks (Industrial Bank of Bangladesh), where he began an unprecedented move to recover a large number of pending debt of the bank by filing lawsuits against loan defaulters. He also served for many years as Executive Director of Islamic Development Bank
Islamic Development Bank
The Islamic Development Bank is a multilateral development financing institution located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was founded by the first conference of Finance Ministers of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference , convened 23 Dhu'l Qa'dah 1393 AH.The bank officially began its activities on...
, where he represented a number of countries including Bangladesh.
Research and Writing
In the late eighties and early nineties, Dr. Alamgir served as President of Bangladesh Economic Association. In 1989 Dr. Alamgir spent a semester at Pennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
as a Visiting Scholar on an Asia Foundation
Asia Foundation
The Asia Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization professing a commitment to "development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region." The Foundation supports Asian initiatives to improve governance, law, and civil society; women’s empowerment; economic reform...
fellowship.
Dr. Alamgir has authored numerous books, journal articles, and hundreds of newspaper articles on the economy and current affairs of Bangladesh. His "Development Strategy for Bangladesh" (three editions) has been used as one of the textbooks in advanced development economics courses at different universities in the country. His "My Days in Jail" was also a bestseller, with three sold-out editions published between 2003 and 2004.
Early Political Controversy
From time to time, Dr. Alamgir has been outspoken about his politically progressive ideas, which landed him in a number of controversies. In the eighties, when Bangladesh was under the military rule of Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Dr. Alamgir was the first civil servant to openly question the role of civil servants under a military regime. He propounded the view that civil servants, by constitution, are servants of the state, and thereby the people, and therefore they are not obliged to serve under a non-representative undemocratic government.In 1996, when a government led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party
Bangladesh Nationalist Party
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party , commonly referred to as the BNP, is the mainstream center-right political party in Bangladesh. BNP ruled Bangladesh total 18 years since her independence, the longest than any other party in Bangladesh...
(BNP) staged one-sided national elections, which were boycotted by the opposition, and proceeded to form a government on the basis of the rigged election results, Dr. Alamgir joined a mass uprising that considered the tenure of the government illegitimate. He eventually led civil servants to withhold cooperation with the illegitimate government, and the government fell. The movement was called Janatar Mancha-1996. His role in that movement was controversial; opponents claimed that his position encouraged civil servants to break their traditional neutral role and therefore become politicized.
Politics with the Awami League
During Awami League rule in 1997, Dr. Alamgir was invited to join the cabinet as the State Minister for Planning. He also served stints in charge of the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Science and Technology Ministry. He was the initiator of the Fifth Five Year Plan, which shaped Bangladesh's development policy from 1997 to 2002.Imprisonment and Torture
After BNP was elected to power in 2001, the party decided to seek revenge for Dr. Alamgir's role in bringing down the government in 1995. Dr. Alamgir was arrested in 2002 and detained without charges. He was tortured in police custody. According to the American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
, one of the organizations that fought for his release, Dr. Alamgir reported in court that "every evening at midnight, the police would enter his cell and blindfold him. He was taken to a separate room where masked men interrogated and tortured him. They beat him with lathi (bamboo sticks) and glass bottles filled with water. He reported that he was beaten severely on his buttocks, feet and other muscular parts of his body, and was sodomized with the bottle. In addition, he was denied fresh water and his diabetes medicine. He reported that the police demanded that he sign a typed document. When he refused to sign, they continued to beat him."
A large international campaign played a crucial role to pressure the government to stop the torture and release Dr. Alamgir. United States Senator Edward Kennedy
Edward Kennedy
Edward Kennedy may refer to:*Ted Kennedy, Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy , United States Senator from Massachusetts*Edward Kennedy , journalist who first reported the German surrender in World War II*Edward Kennedy, Jr., son of U.S...
, United States Representative Frank Pallone, Jr., and others urged the government for his release. Other organizations that played a strong role to secure his release include American Association for the Advancement of Science, Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, Asian Human Rights Commission
Asian Human Rights Commission
The Asian Human Rights Commission is an independent, non-governmental body, which seeks to promote greater awareness and realisation of human rights in the Asian region, and to mobilise Asian and international public opinion to obtain relief and redress for the victims of human rights violations...
, Committee of Concerned Scientists
Committee of Concerned Scientists
The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent international organization devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom of scientists, physicians, and scholars.-History:...
, New York Academy of Sciences
New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences is the third oldest scientific society in the United States. An independent, non-profit organization with more than members in 140 countries, the Academy’s mission is to advance understanding of science and technology...
, Organisation mondiale contre la torture (World Organisation Against Torture), 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Winners Physicians for Human Rights, Scholars at Risk
Scholars At Risk
Scholars at Risk is a U.S.-based international network of academic institutions organized to support and defend the principles of academic freedom and to defend the human rights of scholars around the world....
, and South Asia Forum for Human Rights
South Asia Forum for Human Rights
The South Asia Forum for Human Rights is a South Asia-focused human rights organization based in Kathmandu whose mission is to "promote respect for universal standards of human rights with emphasis on universality and interdependence of human rights." They view human rights as interlinked with...
. In addition, thousands of individuals from around the world wrote letters to the government demanding his release.
Unconvinced of the government's arguments to keep him detained, the High Court eventually took an unprecedented step and issued an ultimatum to the government demanding that it release Dr. Alamgir or risk having the High Court itself free him by force. The government released Dr. Alamgir only one hour before the court ordered deadline was set to expire on 18 September 2002. In December 2002 the BNP government filed a sedition case against Dr. Alamgir for his role during a 1996 popular revolt against an illegitimately elections.
Re-Imprisonment and Release
On February 4, 2007, Dr. Alamgir was arrested from his home by civil and military police, operating under a state of emergency in Bangladesh. Eventually charges of corruption were brought against him based on a wealth statement that he was forced to write while in jail and without access to lawyers or any documents. In addition, seven prominent persons, including well-known economists of Bangladesh and the United States, testified in court that he is an honest man. Regardless, in July 2007, a summary tribunal set up by a military-led caretaker government convicted him to 13 years imprisonment. All in all, the government filed six cases against Dr. Alamgir between February 2007 and October 2008.On October 21, 2008, Dr. Alamgir was released on bail after being held in prison for 20 months by the military-backed caretaker government of Bangladesh.
He became an MP, while he was on bail. On July 13, 2009, the High Court overturned Dr. Alamgir's 13-year imprisonment conviction by a special tribunal constituted under the 2007-8 military-controlled caretaker government.