Politicians, academics and economists on Friday said finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith is a versatile and has been enriching politics, societal development and economics of Bangladesh. They made the observations while shedding some lights on Muhith’s life at his autobiography publication ceremony.
The publication programme on Muhith’s autobiography ‘Sonali Dinguli’ was organised by the publisher Chandrabati Academy at Bangladesh Shishu Academy auditorium in the city. Muhith, now 82, reflected his days of boyhood and youth until he turned 22 and joined in Pakistan Civil Service in 1956. It is his memoirs. The octogenarian was born in Sylhet in 1934. The finance minister said he prepared the manuscript in ten months, from January 11, 2015 to October 8, 2015 and it was published in phases in Bangla national daily ‘The Daily Janakantha.’ Addressing as the chair, Professor emeritus Anisuzzaman said the book would give a taste of an era…the then Pakistan, its society, (political) environment and political developments. ‘We hardly find any discipline where he did not contribute,’ commerce minister Tofail Ahmed said.
Praising Muhith’s talent of memorising and storytelling, cultural affairs minister Asaduzzaman Nur said, ‘He even can bring live to things happened 50 years ago.’ Noted economist Rehman Sobhan, also the chairman of Centre for Policy Dialogue, said Muhith had always believed in progressive philosophies and was involved in erstwhile Chattra Union politics. ‘I worked with Muhith during Bangladesh’s War of Independence and witnessed his contribution to the campaign in the US in favour of the Liberation War,’ Sobhan said.
Former finance minister M Syeduzzaman recalled that as they worked together, he found him eager to serve people. Terming the minister as an ‘ever child’, economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said Muhith foraged from politics to society to economics. He wrote on various issues at home and abroad. Muhith’s friend Abul Fateh Fattach, also the principal of Madanmohon College, remembered that Muhith turns angry very fast and also calms down faster followed by laughs. The speakers termed him an economist, diplomat, freedom fighter, and a language veteran. Artist Hashem Khan, National Museum’s founder director general Enamul Huq, Green Delta Insurance Company Limited adviser Nasir A Chowdhury also another firend of Muhith, Linguist Moniruzzaman and Chandrabati Academy executive director Kamruzzaman Kajal, also spoke.
