AMA Muhith to be laid to rest in Sylhet Sunday

AMA Muhith, former Finance Minister, diplomat, Freedom Fighter and language veteran, will be laid to rest at his family graveyard in Sylhet after Zohr prayers on Sunday, UNB reports.

His body is scheduled to reach Sylhet on Saturday evening where people are waiting to see one of the region's proudest sons for the last time.

People from all walks of life will pay last respects to Muhith, one of the giants of Bangladesh's political arena whose role stretches through the entire history of independent Bangladesh, before his last namaz-e-janaza in Sylhet on Sunday.

One of the country's longest serving finance ministers, the only one who commanded the economy for 10 consecutive years, and the principal architect of the Awami League's era of development, breathed his last the in the wee hours of Saturday.

Muhith’s first namaz-e-janaza was held around 10.45 am at Gulshan Azad Mosque in the city on Saturday.

Later, his body was taken to Central Shaheed Minar where people from all walks of life paid homage.

The second namaz-e-janaza of Awami League advisory council member was held at Dhaka University central mosque after Zohr prayers on Saturday.

Muhith had been keeping unwell for quite some time. In July 2021, he tested positive for Covid-19, but fought that back. Then in March, he was hospitalised again as he became enfeebled in his old age.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who entrusted him with authoring the Awami League's manifesto as the party charted its comeback ahead of the 2008 election, expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Muhith.

With the most influential portfolio in the cabinet, for ten years, his seat was reserved to the right of the prime minister at weekly cabinet meetings.

As the finance minister of the Awami League government, he presented the budget in parliament for 10 years at a stretch. He had also presented it in an earlier era, as finance secretary in the early days of the Ershad-led administration.

Muhith left his mark in the deliberate and strategic move towards expansionary fiscal policy, reflected in the burgeoning of the budget under his watch - from Tk 114,000 crore in 2009-10, the first under the newly elected AL government, to Tk 464,000 crore in his last, for the 2018-19 fiscal. 

At first, his critics said he was overambitious with his budgets. His retort was that he would rather be that, than fall short on ambition.

Muhith retired from politics after serving as the finance minister of Sheikh Hasina's government from 2009 to 2018.