How Muhith, a student of English literature, entered economics

Abul Maal Abdul Muhith was a student of English literature, but he became prominent in the field of economics - crunching the numbers and analysing data and trends. He died at a Dhaka hospital at the age of 88 early on Saturday.

Muhith was born to Advocate Abu Ahmad Abdul Hafiz and Syed Shahar Banu Chowdhury in Sylhet on Jan 25, 1934. Hafiz was the founder of the then Sylhet District Muslim League, Shahar Banu was also active in politics.

He secured the first place in intermediate examinations in the province in 1951 from Sylhet MC College.

He stood first class first in BA (Honours) in English Literature in 1954 from Dhaka University and passed his MA with credit from the same university in 1955.

After joining Pakistan Civil Service in 1956, he served in different capacities in the government of East Pakistan, the Central government of Pakistan, and then Bangladesh after independence.

During his service period, he studied in Oxford University in 1957-58 and received MPA degree from Harvard University in 1964.

After serving Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet from 2009 to 2018 and delivering the maximum number of 12 budgets, Muhith signed off from politics.

After passing the baton to AHM Mustafa Kamal a day before his 85th birthday in January 2019, the former finance minister recalled the events and factors that had helped him retain his position and make progress in economics.

He said the then Pakistan government opened the railways ministry and Muhith got appointed there after his entry into the civil service.

“I got introduced to budget in that job. We had to make the first budget for railways in 1962,” he said.

AHM Mustafa Kamal and Abul Maal Abdul Muhith share a rare moment at a ceremony at the National Board of Revenue on Thursday, Jan 24, 2019. 

The government had arranged training for the officials, for which Muhith and the then deputy secretary of finance Quazi Abdur Rahim had to travel to Rawalpindi in the then West Pakistan.

The government had asked them to make projections of expenditure and present it in a budget table.

“That was how I came to know about finance,” Muhith said and added he had also worked in planning for a few years afterwards.

He said he believed it was possible for him to become a specialist on a particular subject because his work areas had not changed much.

“I must thank the then senior officers for keeping me in a line. I didn’t get out of finance and planning afterwards, not even when I was abroad. It allowed me to gather experience and knowledge,” Muhith said.

He said he considered retiring in 2001 but later thought better of it.

“It occurred to me that it was an untimely thought. I had many dreams at the time but none of them materialised. But no more now,” he said.

He joined the Awami League in 2001 and was appointed member of its Advisory Council in 2002. He was elected a Member of Parliament in 2009 from his home constituency in Sylhet and Hasina appointed him finance minister. He was also finance and planning minister from March 1982 to December 1983 during HM Ershad’s government.